[MC]

I know someone posted something about this the other day, but quite a nice piece in the Media Guardian today:

Monday September 18, 2006
The Guardian

Chris Moyles' raucous on-air behaviour is to be reined in as a result of a management restructure to tighten up programming on Radio 1.
Controller Andy Parfitt has created a new role, head of editorial standards, with a remit covering all of the BBC's teen brands. The change is a consequence of director general Mark Thompson handing Parfitt a broader remit to focus the corporation's youth services, and in response to repeated infringements of the broadcasting code, which carry a severe risk of regulatory action by Ofcom.

Over the summer Ofcom upheld listener complaints for swearing and unacceptable content on the Chris Moyles Breakfast Show and stated it would take action if it happened again. Moyles got into trouble when he called women who urinate in the shower "dirty whores", said "*" on air and used the word "gay" in the context of describing something that was rubbish. Radio 1 drivetime DJ Scott Mills was also criticised by the regulator for a serious misjudgment over a wind-up call to a women (made with the consent of her partner) suggesting that her son had misbehaved at school.

Radio 1 is not the only music station to have displeased Ofcom recently. In April, Kiss FM breakfast DJ Bam Bam, now podcasting weekly without regulation, was fired for repeated transgressions that cost £175,000 in fines from the regulator, an industry record. Ofcom can impose similar penalties on Radio 1, with fines of up to £250,000, and the obligation to broadcast a correction and read out on air, verbatim, Ofcom's regulatory findings. Parfitt acknowledges that he is aiming not to be sanctioned by the regulator, and hopes to avoid the mistakes of the past. His head of editorial standards will have to draw up new guidelines for producers and DJs on Radio 1, specifically taking account of the need not to create a fearful, risk-averse culture, while also remaining inside the broadcasting code. One of the challenges in achieving this goal is the fact that most of Radio 1 is live. Unlike much television there is no chance to make a quick edit in post-production.

Parfitt presides over a network in rude health. It is to his credit that he has subtly repositioned Radio 1 over the past few years to be demonstrably a public-service station, while developing a style and tone of voice that connects superbly with its core target 15-24 audience. The DJ line-up is also the best for at least a decade. Moyles is a very talented broadcaster who has attracted listeners and achieved the almost unthinkable by overtaking Capital, Heart and Magic in London. Scott Mills is another star; having been poached from commercial radio, he has developed a unique personality on air that makes his drivetime show a compelling listen.

Radio 1's success, however, is also part of Parfitt's dilemma. To a large extent his DJs' strong connection with the target audience is a product of their ability to tap into the language and issues that form part of their everyday lives. Radio 1 is now relevant - the network is in tune with the UK's youth. The judgments over what is acceptable editorially are very tricky; the issue of language is probably clear-cut. It is easy, and incontestable to rule that a peaktime DJ should not say "*" on air when children are listening. A list of similar unacceptable words is easily compiled. Portrayal is more difficult. Is it acceptable to call a man "black"? Is it offensive to gays to use the word gay in a derogatory manner when that is the parlance in every school playground in the country? These are matters of judgment, and depending on one's point of view may or may not be offensive. The new head of standards will be responsible for guiding the DJs and producers through the nuances of what is acceptable to listeners, the BBC and Ofcom.

Parfitt is determined to retain the creative culture that he has nurtured while avoiding being censured by Ofcom. He has not yet identified an individual to fill the role, but says they will "need to be very experienced with the respect and credibility to do the job". Commercial radio will welcome the move, having complained with some justification that the BBC has more editorial freedom, but as one senior broadcaster confided to me, "it's only radio, no one died".

Paul Robinson is a media consultant

Source: http://media.guardian.co.uk/radio/story ... 13,00.html

[ILoveDaveVitty]

listening to chris in the morining is just like listening to my mates when we get together and have a chinwag....

i mean who in their lives hasnt referred to something as gay? who cares...really?

[Johnny 1989]

The problem is radio can be TOO over regulated. For example after 9pm on TV swearing is allowed to a certain extent with a practical "no holds barred" after 10:30 although c*** is rightly very limited.

However on radio swearing is not allowed at anytime of the day manily because children could be listening, but children who don't know these swear words shouldn't be up after 9pm listening to the Radio. There's also the fact that the radio statio takes too much blame, which is somecases they unfairly take.

Take for example the infamous sacking of Jon Holmes from Virgin Radio. He was sacked from the station after a phone-in game on his show called "Swearing Radio Hangman for the under 12's" .

This game involved kids under 12 (with the youngest contestant IIRC 6 years old) phonign in playing hangman in the normal way but with swear words instead of regular wors, although these weren't the words S*** F*** & C***, instead phrases such as Cheesy B*ll End and such like.

Now although this was irresponsible for Jon Holmes to do the game ran for 3 weeks before finally been pulled, he remained on air for roughly a month afterwards & only got sacked because of the then record fine under the old Radio regulators before Ofcom.

However you can twist this argument on it's head, all of the kids that phoned up were been encourage in the background by either an older brother or sister (16-21 year old) or a parent (one who sounded as if she was in her 30's). So technically this was not all of his fault, the fact that parents took part & only between 25-50 complaints were made it was a little unfair, especially seeing as the show did so well.

I think if Chris Moyles hadn't been doing so well in the ratings he would have got a harsher punishment than just the slapped wrists he got, afterall Radio 1 would know what a huge mistake they would make getting rid of Moyles at the top of his game, something Virgin Radio must now realise as alot of late night listeners abandonded the station when Jon Holmes was sacked, unfairly in many fans opinions, especially when he was employed to push the boundries of radio.

Apologies for rattling on but I hope people understand what I'm getting at here

[Yudster]

One thing mentioned in that article was the appallingly bad judgement shown by the Scott Mills team with the prank phone calls they do. At best these calls are annoying and unfunny - at worst they are potentially able to cause quite serious problems for people who aren't even directly involved, just get caught in the fall out. I think stuff like that is far more serious and in need of regulation than anything which happens on the Chris Moyles Show.

[Johnny 1989]

One thing mentioned in that article was the appallingly bad judgement shown by the Scott Mills team with the prank phone calls they do. At best these calls are annoying and unfunny - at worst they are potentially able to cause quite serious problems for people who aren't even directly involved, just get caught in the fall out. I think stuff like that is far more serious and in need of regulation than anything which happens on the Chris Moyles Show.

Indeed, I believe this is what happened to Bam Bam on Kiss as it's now known (the 100 has been dropped & the new logo is appaling) his sacking was a result of a prank call that went horribly wrong, not sure what happened though.

[David]

Well look at that Liam and Noel interview in 1995 - possibly the best thing to ever happen to Radio 1.

[Johnny 1989]

Well look at that Liam and Noel interview in 1995 - possibly the best thing to ever happen to Radio 1.

What happened there then, lots of swearing i presume

Who interviewed them back in 1995, Moyles wasn't even on Capital Fm back in 1995

[MC]

I thought it was in 1997?

It was Lamacq. Speaking of which, final Lamacq Live on air now.

[Johnny 1989]

I thought it was in 1997?

It was Lamacq. Speaking of which, final Lamacq Live on air now.

Isn't he going to Radio 6?

[David]

I thought it was in 1997?

It was Lamacq. Speaking of which, final Lamacq Live on air now.

I'm sure it was 95 as I'm sure I heard Lamacq say last year it was 10 years since it happend. Maybe I mis-heard.

Lamacq has been on 6 Music Monday-Friday for quite a wee while now, its just his Radio 1 show sadly comes to an end tonight.

[MC]

Isn't he going to Radio 6?

He's been doing a daily 4-7pm show on 6 Music since April 2005.

So just the 17 months late.

David - checked and the interview was in October 1997.

[David]

Yeah MC, just checked that myself. Apologies. Cant remember what their excuse for replaying the interview was then!

[Adam]

Wonder what his last track will be?

[David]

Not exactly a song I'd of picked... but an interesting one all the same:

MJ Hibbett - Lesson Of The Smiths

[SAV1OUR]

Paul Robinson was my tutor during my media studies course (might not be the same one) But I always remember him being well tucked into his Guardian of a morning as we were all arriving.

[kendra k]

you think you have strict rules when it comes to language and such on broadcast media, try figuring out the fcc.

[tro1]

One thing mentioned in that article was the appallingly bad judgement shown by the Scott Mills team with the prank phone calls they do. At best these calls are annoying and unfunny - at worst they are potentially able to cause quite serious problems for people who aren't even directly involved, just get caught in the fall out. I think stuff like that is far more serious and in need of regulation than anything which happens on the Chris Moyles Show.

Indeed, I believe this is what happened to Bam Bam on Kiss as it's now known (the 100 has been dropped & the new logo is appaling) his sacking was a result of a prank call that went horribly wrong, not sure what happened though.

Heres a story I found out about it, which gives more of an idea.

Emap has been fined £100,000 for eight breaches of standards and £75,000 after Ofcom upheld a fairness and privacy complaint about a wind-up call on the show, taking into account another prank call complaint.

The complaints made about Bam Bam - real name Peter Poulton - come after the regulator levied the previously largest ever fine of £125,000 against Emap last year.

Two of the complaints about the show concerned wind-up calls. Ofcom said Emap had “failed to seek consent from the participants who were identifiable”. One call was to a man that had just been made redundant and another was to a Chinese herbalist asking for a remedy to improve penis size.

Ofcom said the broadcaster’s treatment of the man who had been made redundant was “totally unacceptable”.

“They showed a serious disregard for consequences of their actions and their behaviour was inconsistent with the necessary care that broadcasters would reasonably be expected to take to avoid potential unfairness and unwarranted infringment of privacy.”

The eight standards breaches concerned “inappropriate material, such as offensive language and sexual content which was broadcast at breakfast time when children are likely to be listening", including a disussion about group sex, and use of the words “*", “wanker", “prick” and “muff”.

But it is thought that due to Emap’s poor record - this is the third time the company has had the dubious accolade of holding the record for the largest radio fine - Ofcom decided previous fines and cautions appear to have failed to make the firm’s management stem the broadcast of offensive content.

[tro1]

And here's another one

Emap faces record fine over former DJ

Julia Day, radio correspondent
Friday June 16, 2006

Ofcom is expected to hit Emap with what could be the largest fine ever levied against a UK radio company after a series of complaints about Kiss FM’s former breakfast show host Bam Bam.

Although Bam Bam - real name Peter Poulton - left London dance station Kiss in April after seven years, the media regulator is still expected to order Emap to pay a hefty financial penalty after a series of nine listener complaints, dating back over a year.

The maximum fine Ofcom can now impose is £250,000, but industry sources believe Ofcom’s fine against Emap this time could reach the £150,000 mark. It would be the third time that Emap have held the dubious accolade of the largest fine.

One explanation that the regulator is considering a large fine could be due to Emap’s record. Previous fines and cautions appear to have failed to make the firm’s management stem the broadcast of offensive content.

The biggest fine so far was levied was against Emap’s Key 103 in Manchester, which was fined £125,000 last year after late-night phone-in presenter James Stannage made a string of racist comments and joked about the death of Iraq hostage Ken Bigley.

And in 1999, the then regulator the Radio Authority, made what was the biggest fine ever at the time for the sector - £50,000 - against Emap, for late night phone-ins on Hallam FM which breached taste and decency standards and included incitement to crime, a gratuitous description of paedophilia, and the condoning of and encouragement of rape.

As well as a fine Ofcom would also be able to make other statutory sanctions including banning the station from repeating a programme; or making the station broadcast a correction or a statement of the regulator’s findings. It can also revoke a station’s licence.

In both the Stannage and Bam Bam cases, neither show had a producer, a role that can help DJs stick to guidelines and uphold standards.


Ofcom said it was unable to comment on the Kiss complaints, but confirmed that there were nine pending a ruling.

A spokeswoman for Emap said it would not comment until Ofcom had made its ruling public.

[Johnny 1989]

Oh, so they make Jon Holmes' Swearing Radio hangman seem quite tame . Although to be fair he did send his "sidekick", The Eliminator to the hospital where Adam Ant was staying to try & get an interview with him. However in this case Virgin allowed him to continue on "no holds barred" routine & only sacked hime because of the fine.

But it always make me laugh at the total amount of complaints, in the Kiss 100 case 9, which out of 200,000 odd listeners is kind of a bit silly IMHO, I think if the majority of the listeners complained then fair enough but Nine!

Although Jon Holmes at least used to avoid swearing, except sh*t of course