UK TV and Radio News

No doubt moralist campaigners will now be calling for an 11pm watershed for all TV deemed to be made for an adult audience.

Perhaps something missing from the ASA analysis is that considering a range of ages from 10 must surely distort the analysis. Surely 10 year olds go to bed an awful lot earlier than 15 year olds so considering the average is likely underestimate the amount of kids staying up at the higher end of the range. I would suspect that it may be 11pm to 12pm before the teenagers turn off.

The ASA challenged the scheduling of 576 alcohol ads that were broadcast after 9 pm on the seven Box TV music channels in the period February, March, April 2013. In total, the ASA found that the scheduling of 268 ads breached the BCAP Code and the scheduling of 308 ads did not.

Rule 32.2.1 of The UK Code of Broadcast Advertising (the BCAP Code) states that alcohol ads should not be shown in or around programmes commissioned for, principally targeted at or likely to appeal particularly to audiences below the age of 18.

Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) guidance recommends the use of audience indexing, a statistical tool, to determine the representation of children in relation to the audience as a whole. BCAP guidance states that an alcohol restriction should be applied in programmes where the 10- to 15-year-old audience, indexed against the total audience of all individuals over four years old, produces an index of 120 or more. An index of 120 would mean that 10- to 15-year-olds are 20% over-represented in the programme audience compared to the audience as a whole. Presumably an index of 100 would mean that the program is viewed by an average cross section of all ages.

There were 576 alcohol ads broadcast in programmes on the following channels licensed to Box Television Ltd in the period February, March and April 2013:

1. 4Music (126 ads); described on the 4Music website as a channel that brings you closer to the hottest artists right now .
2. Heat (22 ads); described on the Heat website as a channel that brings you the best in entertainment and celebrity news .
3. Kerrang (138 ads); described on the Kerrang website as the music channel for the world's biggest selling rock magazine .
4. Kiss TV (93 ads); described on the Kiss TV website as the beat of the UK on TV .
5. Magic TV (43 ads); described on the Magic TV website as offering feel good favourites twenty four hours a day .
6. Smash Hits (69 ads); described on the Smash Hits website as hits now and always .
7. The Box (85 ads); described on The Box website as providing fresh music first .

There were 219 ads broadcast between 9 pm and 9.59 pm; 143 ads between 10 pm and 10.59 pm; 102 between 11 pm and 11.59 pm and 102 ads broadcast after 12 am.

The ASA Compliance team challenged whether it was appropriate to schedule alcohol ads in the programmes on these channels because the data indicated that many were likely to appeal particularly to audiences below the age of 18.

ASA Assessment: Complaints upheld in parts

1. 4Music

The ASA acknowledged that the audience figures for 4Music were low and agreed that a time slot based restriction was a reasonable scheduling approach when attempting to comply with the spirit and intention of the Code.

In accordance with the advice of the statistical expert as to the potential for the audience indexing score to be useful to some degree, we noted that the average index score in the 9 pm to 9.59 pm time slot on 4Music varied from 134 to 136. After 10 pm the average index dropped to 95 to 97 and remained below the 120 cut-off point for the rest of the night in every weekly period.

We considered that a 10 pm restriction would have been more appropriate based on the spirit and intention of the rule, based in turn on the hard audience information available and knowledge of the audience profiles.

2. The Box, Smash Hits and Heat

• The Box: average index score 9 pm to 9.59 pm: 121 to 141
• The Heat: average index score 9 pm to 9.59 pm: 140 to 158
• Smash Hits average index score 9 pm to 9.59 pm: 143 to 154
• All fell to under 120 after 10pm (but this still means a lot of kids are watching)

We considered that a 10 pm restriction for alcohol ads on The Box, Smash Hits and Heat would have been more appropriate.

3. Kerrang

• Average index score 9 pm to 9.59 pm: 219 to 241
• Average index score 10 pm to 10.59 pm: 172 to 196
• The average index score continued to exceed 120 until 00.59 am

We therefore considered that an 11 pm restriction would have been more appropriate.

4. Kiss

• Average index score 9 pm to 9.59 pm: 132 to 169
• Average index score 10 pm to 10.59 pm: 133 to 148 some week, under 120 others
• Fell to under 120 after 11pm

We therefore considered that an 11 pm restriction would have been more appropriate.

5. Magic TV Complaints not upheld

• The average index score for the preceding 52 weeks did not exceed 120 in any time slot.

We therefore concluded that the third party had demonstrated that the decision to allow alcohol ads from 9 pm on Magic TV was a reasonable scheduling decision.

Upcoming US porn producers WoodRocket.com has signed the team of director Lee Roy Myers and writer A.J. Slater to reunite and create Doctor Whore -- The XXX Parody , a spoof of the Dr Who and his sexy companions.

According to Myers and Slater, great attention to detail was paid when choosing the costumes, script, special effects and sets. Now all that's left is the sex! Myers said:

We love 'Doctor Who' and want to pay homage to this brilliant series. And add space vaginas,

Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has found himself at the centre of a trivial 'racism' row following a comment he made during the final show of the series.

Clarkson was commenting on a newly constructed makeshift bridge over the River Kwai: That is a proud moment, but there's a slope on it , as a man walked towards them on the bridge. Fellow presenter Richard Hammond replied saying: You're right, it's definitely higher on that side.

A few viewers took to Twitter in 'shock' following his use of the word slope in the second episode of the two-part special, which is apparently considered a derogatory term for people of Asian decent.

One wrote: Topgear - There's a slope on it - Subtle racism!, while another viewer appeared to agree: That slope joke on Top Gear tonight was ill advised. A great show ultimately spoilt by a gag too far.'

Update: Equal Opportunity

29th March 2013. See article from theguardian.com

The BBC has received a formal complaint over an supposedly racist remark made by Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson during one of the show's Burma specials.

A law firm acting on behalf of the nearly unknown actress Somi Guha has written to the BBC claiming Clarkson's use of the word slope , which can be used as a derogatory term for people of Asian descent, contravened the Equality Act 2010. Guha is seeking an apology and disciplinary action against Clarkson. In the formal complaint, sent to the corporation's management and the BBC Trust, law firm Equal Justice wrote:

Casual racism in the media by established BBC stalwarts is constantly brushed aside. Discrimination within the industry is accepted. Racial profiling of roles is accepted and expected. I find it offensive that Jeremy Clarkson refers to people of different races in pejorative terms.

[The show] must be censured to ensure that another race or nation is not targeted, and that the BBC should give due consideration to not re-commissioning Top Gear until these matters are addressed.

The show attracted 10 other complaints from viewers.

Update: Top Gear's producer grovels over trivial quip

24th April 2014. See article from theguardian.com

Top Gear's executive producer, Andy Wilman, has expressed regret for supposed offence caused by a quip on the show made by presenter Jeremy Clarkson that some easily offended viewers found racist. In a statement, Wilman said:

When we used the word "slope" in the recent Top Gear Burma special it was a light-hearted wordplay joke referencing both the build quality of the bridge and the local Asian man who was crossing it.

We were not aware at the time, and it has subsequently been brought to our attention, that the word 'slope' is considered by some to be offensive and although it might not be widely recognised in the UK, we appreciate that it can be considered offensive to some here and overseas, for example in Australia and the USA.

If we had known that at the time we would not have broadcast the word in this context and regret any offence caused.