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

[RJ THORNE]

Little guy, scant resources, makes a mistake and broadcasts a few "f" words, 
apologises,tightens up procedures, found in breach.

Big guy, resources coming out of its ear, makes a mistake  and broadcasts a "f" 
words, apologises, tightens up procedures, not found in breach.

In the end in both instances the listener got a few "f" words. Effect on ears 
the same from both. As a complainee do I care what they'd done before or after 
the incident? - no I don't, I just care that my little Johnny has been 
traumatised.

And what are the mitigating circumstances that got big guy off?  - a complex and 
auditable procedure that didn't work!

So maybe the lesson here is to put in a large, complex and auditable procedure, 
make sure that all documents, tick boxes, email etc are filled in and stored for 
posterity and then relax. Because as long as you've followed it you'll be safe 
when it doesn't stop you breaking the broadcast code.

I fell foul of the Black-Eyed peas myself once. As the track concerned was on 
the playout system I assumed it was ok. After about 30 secs the fader got 
rapidly retracted just as the Station Manager flew in through the door. As the 
office was in the next door building I was well impressed with how fast he got 
there!.

Seriously though, any "honeymoon period" there may have been for Community 
Radio with Ofcom is good and over.  There is (to my mind anyway) a definite move 
towards tighter regulation of CR now and we've just got to accept it and work 
with it.

I think Ofcom are overreacting on offensive language anyway, its not like its a 
huge problem.  They'd be better concentrating on gettig through the rest of the 
third round applications.....

Roger

 



________________________________
From: Two Lochs Radio <tlr at gairloch.co.uk>
To: Julian Mellor <julian at 10radio.org>; CMA-L <cma-l at commedia.org.uk>
Sent: Thursday, 22 September, 2011 11:56:54
Subject: Re: [cma-l] Offensive language on radio - how to avoid the pitfalls

Extremely well said, Julian. Thanks for taking the time to set what I think is 
broadly the most sensible take on the subject.

Your comments re the setting of entry bars etc by larger players are pertinent. 

Another example of a field where that sort of thing happens is in standards 
committees (BSI et al) where the big players with the margins and market to 
absorb the overheads push for standards that are fine and valuable if treated as 
an aspiration and ideal target, but can be counterproductive and 
antisocial/anticompetitive if applied to 100% of cases with legal force.

Let commonsense and decency rule!

Alex
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/pipermail/cma-l/attachments/20110922/1a3388cd/attachment.html>