Editing Talksport (section)

==Controversies==
{{criticism section|date=January 2025}}
* June 2000: It was revealed that Talksport had been broadcasting its live commentaries of matches at [[Euro 2000]] from television monitors rather than from each of the stadia, due to the lack of available broadcast rights.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2000/dec/05/broadcasting1 |work=The Guardian |first=Jason |last=Deans |title=TalkSport hails victory in sports row |date=5 December 2000}}</ref> Talksport's commentary team included [[Alan Parry]], [[Jim Proudfoot]], Mark Tompkins, [[Alvin Martin]] and [[Frank Stapleton]].{{cn|date=January 2025}}
* April 2002: [[Tommy Boyd]] and his production team were dismissed from Talksport after a call from someone who wanted to shoot the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Royal Family]] went through on air. Boyd went on record that he "did not share the views" of the caller.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/apr/12/broadcasting1 |title=DJ fired after royal death threat |last=Hodgson |first=Jessica |date=12 April 2002 |access-date=16 August 2008 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>
* June 2002: Talksport broadcast unofficial coverage of the [[2002 World Cup]] taking place in [[Japan]] and [[South Korea]]. The station flagged up its inability to broadcast live from the stadia, taking out full page advertisements in national newspapers containing the tag line "It's unauthorised. It's unofficial. And it's brilliant." [[Jim Proudfoot]] and [[Alvin Martin]] were Talksport's main commentary team from its studios in London.<ref>[http://www.talksport1089.com/talksporthistory2002.html talkSPORT Station History – 2002] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150719073624/http://www.talksport1089.com/talksporthistory2002.html |date=19 July 2015 }} talksport1089.com</ref>
* February 2003: Talksport received over 200 complaints for giving a platform to the controversial Muslim extremist cleric [[Abu Hamza al-Masri|Abu Hamza]]. Hamza and his aides were invited into the station to contribute to a religious debate on ''The [[James Whale (presenter)|James Whale]] Show'', alongside other Christian, Jewish, and Muslim delegates. On the night of the live broadcast, 24 February, a mass of protesters gather outside the station's London studios. Despite this, both Whale and head of programming Bill Ridley defended the station for having invited Hamza onto the programme.<ref name="talksport2"/>
* March 2004: [[Alan Brazil]] was dismissed by Talksport when, after spending three days at the [[Cheltenham Festival]], he subsequently failed to show up to present ''The Sports Breakfast'' on Friday 19 March. He was reinstated less than three weeks later.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/apr/06/radio?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487 |work=The Guardian |first=Jason |last=Deans |title=Brazil reinstated by TalkSport |date=6 April 2004}}</ref>
* May 2006: Alan Brazil was reportedly given three months' notice by Talksport after a bust-up with the station's management.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/may/18/radio.sport?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487 |work=The Guardian |first=John |last=Plunkett |title=Brazil out of the World Cup |date=18 May 2006}}</ref> Brazil and Talksport management held talks less than two months later, and Brazil signed a new long-term contract with the station.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/jul/05/radio?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487 |work=The Guardian |first=Ben |last=Dowell |title=Brazil back in World Cup |date=5 July 2006}}</ref>
* June 2006: Alan Brazil got in trouble with [[Ofcom]] for referring to [[Japanese (people)|Japanese]] people as "the [[nip]]s" during the [[2006 FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] in [[Germany]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/aug/07/radio1?commentpage=1|title=TalkSport rapped for 'derogatory' comment|last=Tryhorn|first=Chris|date=7 August 2006|access-date=16 August 2008|work=The Guardian}}</ref>
* August 2007: [[Mike Mendoza (broadcaster)|Mike Mendoza]] and [[Garry Bushell]] made derogatory comments about [[homosexual|gay]] people, and the station was subsequently censured by regulator Ofcom.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6955065.stm |title=Talksport rapped over gay jibes |work=BBC News |date=20 August 2007 |access-date=6 May 2008}}</ref>
* May 2008: James Whale was dismissed by Talksport after twice urging listeners to vote for [[Boris Johnson]] in the [[2008 London mayoral election]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7385370.stm|title=Radio host James Whale is sacked |work=BBC News |date=6 May 2008 |access-date=6 May 2008}}</ref> The station was subsequently fined £20,000 by Ofcom in December 2008.{{cn|date=January 2025}}
* November 2008: Presenter [[Jon Gaunt]] was dismissed for repeatedly calling a local councillor a "[[Nazi]]".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/3416778/Radio-talk-show-host-John-Gaunt--suspending-after-Nazi-comment.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081113093633/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/3416778/Radio-talk-show-host-John-Gaunt--suspending-after-Nazi-comment.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 November 2008 |title=Gaunt Suspended For "Nazi" Slur |work=The Telegraph |date=18 November 2008 |access-date=18 November 2008 |first1=Nicole |last1=Martin}}</ref> Gaunt has since sought legal action for unfair dismissal, but any potential case has yet to go to court.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/jan/20/john-gaunt-sue-talksport Jon Gaunt still pursuing legal action against TalkSport] ''The Guardian'', 20 January 2009</ref>{{needs update|date=January 2025}}
* November 2008: Rod Lucas was dropped by Talksport, and the company stated they had "no plans to use him in the immediate future" after the membership list of the [[British National Party|BNP]] which was leaked on a [[Google]] blog named him as one of its members.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3484612/Rod-Lucas-dropped-by-TalkSPORT-after-BNP-links-emerge.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3484612/Rod-Lucas-dropped-by-TalkSPORT-after-BNP-links-emerge.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Rod Lucas dropped by Talksport |work=The Telegraph |date=19 November 2008 |access-date=19 November 2008}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The station clarified that this was not a sacking, for Lucas was only a temporary member of staff. The presenter himself said that his membership of the party was part of a covert research project.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/nov/19/talksport DJ named on BNP member list joined to research story] ''The Guardian'', 19 November 2008</ref>
* February 2011: Talksport hired former [[Sky Sports]] commentators [[Andy Gray (footballer born 1955)|Andy Gray]] and [[Richard Keys]] (Gray had also been a pundit for the station) a fortnight after the pair were dismissed from Sky Sports for being at the centre of a [[Sian Massey#Sexism controversy|sexism controversy]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12396699 |work=BBC News |title=Andy Gray and Richard Keys move to Talksport |date=8 February 2011}}</ref>
* April 2017: Ofcom upheld complaints against Mike Parry and Mike Graham for comments made on their daytime show the previous December, in which they laughed while telling anecdotes about sexual harassment by former colleagues at the ''[[Daily Express]]''. Talksport said in its statement that the two presenters were "laughing at the lack of action" against sexual harassment.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Roy |title=The Two Mikes in Ofcom breach at talkSPORT |url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2017/04/the-two-mikes-in-ofcom-breach-at-talksport/ |access-date=4 October 2017 |work=Radio Today |date=3 April 2017}}</ref>
* August 2021: A caller to ''The Sports Bar'' said that Tottenham Hotspur owner [[Daniel Levy (businessman)|Daniel Levy]] would not let [[Harry Kane]] leave for free because Levy is Jewish. The remark was not heard on the radio due to a tape delay to avoid offensive callers but was heard on a YouTube simulcast. Talksport apologised and suspended their simulcast until a delay could be enabled.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Luke |title=Tottenham 'appalled' with antisemitic remark aimed at Daniel Levy on talkSPORT |url=https://theathletic.com/news/tottenham-appalled-with-antisemitic-remark-aimed-at-daniel-levy-on-talksport/GoXLzmCwYkbT |access-date=4 August 2021 |work=The Athletic |date=4 August 2021}}</ref>