One of the 2 DJs behind a hoax call to the hospital where Britain's Duchess of Cambridge was being treated for morning sickness last December has been given an award, but the move has been criticised for being in bad taste.
Michael Christian, who months ago was under fire for his role in the prank, has been named "next top jock" and awarded with a trip to L.A. by his employers, Southern Cross Austereo. He said afterwards that he felt at "the top of my game".
Mr Christian and his former co-host on Sydney radio station 2Day FM, Mel Greig, telephoned King Edward VII's claiming to be the Queen and the Prince of Wales seeking information about Kate's condition during the early stages of her pregnancy.
The nurse who put the call through to Kate's ward, Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was found hanged in her room days later.
Mr Christian said: "Regardless of all that's happened in the past few months, I'm still at the top of my game. So it felt good to see my name at the top of the final leader board!"
Neil Mitchell, who is a talk radio show host in Australia, thinks the award went to the wrong man:
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Both Mr Christian and Ms Greig have apologised publicly for the prank.
Ms Greig is yet to return to the airwaves and will appear at the inquest into Mrs Saldanha’s death.
Federal communications minister, Senator Stephen Conroy - speaking to Melbourne's 3AW radio station, has criticised the award. "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."
Others, however, were supportive of Mr Christian.
Fellow DJ Kyle Sandilands said: "He's a good announcer. What, are we going to bash this kid for the rest of his life for one mistake that he's made?
"It's a terrible situation what happened but the kid's a kid, you know," he said.
