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The document reproduced below chronicles the main events that provide the bedrock of Hunt's complaint to the ITC over Granada Television's biased reporting of the 'cash for questions' affair (vis a vis Granada's news blackout of Hunt & Keith-Hill's investigation).  The stark facts show the deliberateness with which Granada ignored the two freelances' work, despite Neil Hamilton's protests of innocence being all but solitary against the Guardian-led media-wide condemnation, and despite Hunt having worked as a reporter for Granada's news magazine programme Granada Tonight.

1996
Between January and December I worked for Granada Television as a freelance reporter.

1997
On April 10 during the general election campaign, a highly prejudicial item was broadcast by Granada Tonight about a 'sleaze-keeping force', featuring a reporter going about the Tatton constituency in an untaxed ex-UN scout car. 

Following Neil Hamilton's general election defeat a few weeks later, I joined forces with a producer-director named Malcolm Keith-Hill.  We began investigating Fayed's and the Guardian's allegations against Neil Hamilton and others. 

In the first week of July, following the publication of the Downey Report, I visited Susan Woodward, my former Editor of Granada Tonight, and informed her of our investigation, and that we had concluded that there was no worthy evidence to support the charges against Neil Hamilton.  Miss Woodward showed no interest.

On 19 September, Charles Tremayne, Granada's Controller of Factual Programmes, wrote to Neil Hamilton and asked him to appear in an intended programme about the events that led to his demise as MP for Tatton.  The following day Neil Hamilton replied, setting out his innocence of the charges; and citing our investigation to support his claims.  Neil Hamilton implored Charles Tremayne to take an interest in our work.  There was no response. 

A few weeks later Keith-Hill and I visited the BBC's political editor Jim Hancock, and gave him a copy of our report.  Hancock referred the matter to a higher level, whereupon it was referred upwards again.  After being sanctioned at all levels, BBC NW broadcast a news item about our investigation throughout 13 October on BBC GMR Radio and on BBC 1. 

On 22 October I left a copy of our report for Granada's Head of Regional Political Programmes, Rob McGloughlan, for his attention.  There was no response. 

On 24 October World in Action/Guardian reporter David Leigh telephoned me at my office and threatened me with a libel action if we were to publish our report.

On 27 October I faxed a news release to Granada and the BBC giving notice of a press release in Westminster two days later at which we were to release our report.  Later that day I received a telephone call from Susan Woodward.  Miss Woodward expressed no interest in our investigation but instead showed concern that I would claim the status of a Granada staff reporter.  The following day she sent me a fax to that effect.

On 29 October we held our press conference in Westminster.  World in Action/Guardian reporter David Leigh attended and again threatened a libel action against us should we release our report.  When the conference got under way Leigh shouted derisory comments about me which he claimed he had obtained from Susan Woodward.  Granada's Westminster correspondent Mark Lyons attended without crew and expressed no interest, his only contribution being to state loudly that I was not a staff reporter during my time with Granada.  The BBC recorded the proceedings and broadcast an item on 9 November as part of its weekend political programme.  Granada did not mention our conference or investigation in any of its bulletins, despite Mark Lyon's attendance. 

On 6 November the Standards committee released its report on Downey's verdict.  According to Teresa Gorman MP, the committee's failure to agree on the central issue of whether Neil Hamilton took 'cash for questions', had been caused by doubts raised by our report.

On 15 November I attended the NW RTS awards ceremony as Granada's only representative for Best Broadcaster/News Reporter of 1997.  I took the opportunity to speak to Sue Woodward, Charles Tremayne, Rob McGloghlan, and Steve Boulton of World in Action about our investigation.  None expressed any interest in our investigation and Steve Boulton was openly hostile.

1998
In early March World in Action/Guardian reporter Luke Harding visited Manchester to dig up defamatory material for an article to discredit me.  Two sources have informed me that whilst in Manchester Harding had visited Miss Woodward at Granada, who allegedly said defamatory things about me to help the Guardian.

A few weeks later on 31 March Luke Harding telephoned Malcolm Keith-Hill's elderly mother in Cornwall after acquiring her ex-directory telephone number, most likely via a transgression of the Data Protection Act.  Harding then deceived Mrs Keith-Hill into disclosing her son's address in Brazil, and into allowing a Guardian-hired photographer into her home a few hours later to take copies of photographs of her son.  Later that afternoon Malcolm was visited at his home on the outskirts of Rio by Guardian reporter Alex Bellos, who questioned Keith-Hill in a menacing fashion.

Concludes overleaf