[cma-l] Offensive language on radio - how to avoid the pitfalls

[Julian Mellor]

This has already raised some issues and concerns for us.

Underlying it is I think the whole regulatory setup of radio i.e.  
everyone plays by the same rules.  In itself there's nothing wrong  
with that, but when the rules are written by organisations with  
professional and paid capacity, those rules can easily be blind to the  
challenges that they pose to organisations running under limited  
volunteer steam.

At 10Radio we have a huge music library gleaned from our members' and  
volunteers' personal collections.  Over the years we have weeded that  
to take out the explicits, but the occasional blip does still happen  
on our sustaining service (and results in immediate deletion).  We  
encourage people to add new tracks and keep the collection alive (and  
we give them guidelines), but we don't have the capacity to supervise  
or double-check everything that has been added.

Furthermore, we don't insist that people only play from our own music  
library, so many bring in their own tracks.  Again, we train  
presenters so that they know not to play explicits especially when  
children are in the likely audience, but some people may innocently  
play something that is deemed offensive (look at the words to almost  
every Amy Winehouse track!).  A professional station may have the  
capacity to make sure that that doesn't happen.  We simply don't.

We have even had an instance where someone with a grudge against us  
sent in a request to a new presenter for a particular track.  When it  
was played they complained about the explicit references.  Again, we  
don't have studio producers weeding out that sort of sabotage.

I know that we have signed up to Ofcom's regulatory framework and that  
is fine.  But I would hate to think that this furore about offensive  
language ends up with more layers of regulation that we will simply be  
unable to implement.  Some commercial stations would probably love to  
see the back of the pesky community sector ("they can't meet comply  
with the code, therefore they have to go"), but if we are to continue  
providing the local and accessible community service which we are  
committed to then at the meeting in October the CMA must fight for a  
realistic approach which accommodates all sectors of the radio  
industry, and not just the big boys.

toodlepip

Julian
................................................................................

10Radio: community radio for the 10 parishes
1 Croft Cottage, West St, Wiveliscombe, Somerset, TA4 2JP
Hear us on 105.3fm & www.10radio.org

JM tel: 01984 623 104
Studio and office tel: 01984 624 137

For details of our training, team building, hire and broadcast  
services, please go to www.10radio.com

10Radio CIC
Registered Office: 1 Croft Cottage, West St, Wiveliscombe, Somerset,  
TA4 2JP
Registered in England and Wales Number: 6004252

On 19 Sep 2011, at 10:24, Jaqui Devereux wrote:

> Dear all in radio
>
> As you will be aware, Ofcom informed broadcasters in a ‘Note to  
> Broadcasters’ (in Broadcast Bulletin 188 - http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/enforcement/broadcast- 
>  bulletins/obb188/obb188.pdf) of their concern about offensive  
> language in radio programming.  This concern arose from a number of  
> Findings, published in Broadcast Bulletin 188, which
> featured offensive language in sound recordings and live music  
> performances broadcast on radio services, especially those broadcast  
> when children were particularly likely to be listening.
>
> We strongly suggest that you read Ofcom's note, and we will be  
> attending a special meeting in late October called by Ofcom to  
> discuss the issue, we will feed back the outcomes from the meeting
>
> Best wishes
>
> Jaqui
>
> -- 
> Jaqui Devereux
> Director, Community Media Association
> Community Media Association
> http://www.commedia.org.uk
>
> t: 0114 279 5219
>
> Canstream Internet Radio & Video
> http://www.canstream.co.uk/
>
> http://twitter.com/community_media
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>
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