March 29, 2015
“Police in Westminster are investigating an allegation of threats to kill,” London officers say
Days after “Top Gear” host Jeremy Clarkson was fired, BBC Director-General Tony Hall has received death threats, according to authorities in London.
“Police in Westminster are investigating an allegation of threats to kill,” Metropolitan Police told CNN in a statement Sunday.
The threats against Hall started shorty after he made the decision to drop Clarkson from “Top Gear,” one of the most popular television shows in the world.
On Wednesday, The BBC announced that it wouldn’t be renewing Clarkson’s contract following an investigation into his “fracas” with producer Oison Tymon.
Also Read: ‘Top Gear’ Host Jeremy Clarkson Fired by BBC For Assaulting Producer
“It is with great regret that I have told Jeremy Clarkson today that the BBC will not be renewing his contract,” Hall said in a statement Wednesday.
A short time later, the first threat was reported. “The threat was made by email,” police said. “The content of the message suggests (it was sent) from outside the UK.”
According to an internal BBC investigation, Clarkson got into a physical and verbal altercation with show producer Tymon on March 4.
The outburst occurred when Clarkson, 54, demanded steak and fries after a day of filming, but was told that the hotel in North Yorkshire, England, where the crew was staying, was no longer serving hot food.
Also Read: ‘Top Gear’ Producer Won’t Press Charges Against Jeremy Clarkson
“During the physical attack Oisin Tymon was struck, resulting in swelling and bleeding to his lip,” the BBC report said. “The verbal abuse was sustained over a longer period, both at the time of the physical attack and subsequently.”
The controversial host had already received a “final warning” from the BBC for using a racist slur during filming last year.
Since the series launched in the U.K. in 2002, “Top Gear” has grown from a straightforward show about cars into a global hit watched by 350 million viewers in 170 countries.
Ray Taliferro was often on-air threatened with death. Oddly, it was KGO that pulled the plug on him.
Ahh Ray Taliaferro, what a provocative talk show host. I enjoyed listening to him even when I disagreed with him. As to KGO, they pulled the plug on pretty well all of their then talk show hosts DEC. 2011 and thus for the most part pulled the plug on them being the top dog radio station in the Bay Area and at night via skip signals one of the top stations listened too by many from as far south as Central America, as far east as the Rockies/plains states as far west as Hawaii and as far north as Alaska.
I miss that version of KGO810.