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Snow's comments about Prince Harry lead to over 90 complaints

01/03/2008

Channel 4 has received over 90 complaints about comments made by Jon Snow regarding the media blackout on Prince Harry's service in Afghanistan.

In a debate on Channel 4 News on Thursday, Mr Snow asked the audience: "Can you think of another country where this could ever have happened other than in a totalitarian state?"

The newsreader compared the UK's media agreement with the royal family as similar to those found in China and Iran.

He also claimed that if a British newspaper had broken the blackout it could have landed itself a "real scoop".

The comments were met with considerable criticism and Channel 4 announced that it subsequently received 91 telephone complaints, with the media watchdog Ofcom looking into another four.

In response to the complaint, a Channel 4 spokesman said: "The studio guests all broadly held the view that the media blackout was the right thing to do and so it was vital that Jon expressed clearly that there was an alternative view."

Two years ago the Channel 4 newsreader sparked widespread controversy after he refused to wear Remembrance Day poppy on air.

Mr Snow claimed that he did not believe in wearing anything on air that represented any kind of statement.