[cma-l] The Guardian: Radio stations to get new guidance on avoiding sexually explicit songs

[CMA-L]

Ben Dowell, guardian.co.uk, Monday 31 October 2011 12.18 GMT

The BBC and commercial radio broadcasters will have to take more care
with sexually explicit music lyrics, particularly in songs by rap
artists, as part of a continuing crackdown by media regulator Ofcom on
content that is inappropriate for children.

UK radio broadcasters are to be issued with new guidance by media
regulator Ofcom to address the problem of broadcasting sexually
explicit music lyrics at times when children are listening.

Following a meeting last week between representatives from the
commercial sector as well as the BBC's editorial policy unit, Ofcom
has promised to issue new and detailed guidance by the end of the
year.

Of particular concern to Ofcom are offensive music lyrics aired at
times in the morning and early evenings when children are often in the
cars with the radio on as they are being taken to and from school.

This follows the issuing of stricter guidance to TV broadcasters last
month on airing such material before the 9pm watershed and signals a
growing desire by the regulator to combat the problem.

Current rules enshrined in the Ofcom broadcasting code prohibit the
broadcast of inappropriate or offensive material when children may be
listening. But Ofcom says that the rules are flouted too often,
particularly in the playing of rap music and that it has run out of
patience.

Among recent examples of breaches of these rules was the airing by
Scottish community radio station Brick FM of the song More Punany by
reggae artist Dr Evil at 3pm. It contained the lyrics "last night I
had a crazy threesome" and "I like to see the girls in the sexy bikini
ni ni/Want to take my chilli and push it between ni ni", as well as "I
like pun-na-na-na-ni even if it's a virgin".

The broadcaster claimed that "punany" referred to a sandwich – a
panini, a claim that was roundly dismissed by the regulator, which
said it was slang for a woman's genitalia.

In May Radio 1 broadcast an expletive-strewn concert by the band the
Black Eyed Peas at the station's Big Weekend event in Carlisle. During
the broadcast the lead singer shouted "What the fuck's going down" and
introduced their second song with the words "This song‟s for all the
fucking crazy people".

An Ofcom spokeswoman said: "Ofcom takes its role in protecting
children from offensive language on the radio very seriously. We are
concerned that there have been a number of recent cases where
offensive language was broadcast, some at times when children were
particularly likely to have been listening. That is why we held a
meeting with the radio industry this week to discuss the issues. We
intend to publish guidance by the end of the year to clarify the rules
in the broadcasting code."

A BBC spokesman added: "The BBC, along with all radio broadcasters,
sent a representative to discuss the matter and, while we have had no
complaints upheld for bad language for more than three years, we will
work with Ofcom to ensure we continue to deal with language in a
responsible way."

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/oct/31/radio-stations-sexually-explicit-songs

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