MICHAEL CHRISTIAN, one of two Australian DJs who made a prank call to a London hospital where Kate Middleton was a patient which was followed by the suicide of nurse Jacintha Saldana, has been given a broadcasting award by his employer.
The decision to give Christian the Top Jock award yesterday has been described as "moronic" and an insult to Saldana's family. He will be "jetting off to LA" as part of his prize.
Christian pretended to be Prince Philip when he and co-presenter Mel Greig made the disastrous call to King Edward VII hospital in London late last year. He said he was delighted to be named Top Jock by his employer, the Southern Cross Austereo network, The Age newspaper reports.
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"From the start I felt like I had something to prove to myself," Christian said. "That regardless of all that's happened in the past few months I'm still at the top of my game."
In a statement issued by Austereo, his bosses said they were "thrilled" to crown Christian as their Top Jock. The DJ has been broadcasting on Melbourne's Fox FM after being suspended in the wake of the fallout from December's prank.
Saldana, who transferred the call from Christian and his co-host Mel Greig to the ward where Kate Middleton was being treated for acute morning sickness, killed herself a couple of days after the prank was aired. In a note, she blamed the DJs for her death.
Writing in The Guardian, the veteran Australian broadcaster Wendy Harmer said the award was a "disgrace". She said radio insiders had told her privately that Southern Cross Austereo's decision to give Christian an award was "moronic", "cowboy thinking" and "morally bankrupt".
"Whatever you think of the ethics of the call and its subsequent tragic outcome, the decision to award Christian anything shows how out of touch with public mores the management of Southern Cross Austereo truly is," wrote Harmer. "Even on a corporate level it's stupid. Why would you inflame an issue that's been so damaging?"
There was further criticism from Australia's federal communications minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, who said the award was not appropriate - particularly so soon after the nurse's death.
"I think there's a bit of bad taste involved there," he told Melbourne radio station 3AW. "There were some very serious consequences of what was a prank and to be seen to be rewarding people so soon after such an event, I think, is just in bad taste."
