PR9 Regulation Continued

Lauren Allard

Ofcom have a lot of rules when it comes to radio and also TV. Rules are the same for both parts of the media; they have rules when it comes to protecting the public, so that no presenter offends anyone. The issues above shows that people have gone against these rules many times, some by accident and some were intentional.

Ofcom make sure that they protect under-eighteens; this is the reason why no one under the age of eighteen is allowed to take part in live radio competitions. Due to them being under age this is for their own safety.

Ethical Policies and Legal Procedures Related to Radio

Producers need to think about what could offend the public. They need to consider what the public would find offensive. Ethical issues means that the public have complained about the issue due to them getting offended, or finding the content inappropriate. For example the Alex Dyke issue was both legal and ethical; he offended and said very inappropriate things about breast feeding that offended a lot of women all over the UK. The ethical part of this topic was the complaints made to Ofcom and the BBC by the people who were offended by what he said.

Radio producers need to remember that some things said on the radio could offend a lot of listeners, they need to make sure the presenters watch what they say.

They also need to look into the Ofcom rules.

Ethical Issues that Radio Producers Must Take into Account

Dyke’s comments were about breast feeding, and breast feeding in public. During this topic he said a lot of offensive things about not only breast feeding but also women in general. He commented about the day before the broadcast when he saw a women breast feeding on the bus “I experienced this yesterday, I was on a bus and there was a lady on the bus she was quite a big girl and she had a toddler with her. She starts to breastfeed her baby on the bus. I didn’t know where to look, she was putting me in an embarrassing situation.” He also comments saying that breast feeding is “Unnatural”.

The issues are on what he said, he knew what he was saying but was unaware that was he was saying was actually an issue. Either way they offended a lot of people. Making this an Ethical issue, especially since hundreds of complaints flooded the BBC and Ofcom about this topic.

What are the issues around Alex Dyke’s comments?

Dykes comments were ethically unsound because of how sexist and degrading they were, the comments that he made about breast feeding in public, could make women feel in two types of ways. More determined to breast feed in public and not care about what he says, or they could feel insecure and stop doing something natural because they feel that’s what people are thinking. And breast feeding is about feeding the child and also creating a bond and connection between mother and child. What he said was not only offensive to women who breast feed but to women in general, he said offensive comments about women as people, stating how it makes them ugly, and that women are disgusting for doing this. He is agreeing with a lot of sexist behaviour that was known as natural and normal behaviour over 40 years ago, when women had no rights and were controlled. He is agreeing that women should be hidden away when it comes to feeding their child and clearly isn’t caring about what he is saying and knows what he is saying because there is not at one point during the broadcast where he stops what he is saying and apologises, he carries on and on and on with his offensive comments and doesn’t stop until he has the final say. An ethical issue is when the public is affected, and his comments affected a large percentage of the public with sexist comments towards women. He offended a natural part of parenting and motherhood, he offended a women he saw breast feeding in public by commenting on her weight and social class just by looking at her. He stereotyped women who breastfeed by their looks, social class, the car that they drive and how they are as parents.

Why were they deemed to be ethically unsound?

Ofcom section two, Harm and Offence. file:///C:/

Users/13006220.SCC/Downloads/section2-july15.pdf Ofcom Guidance: Offensive language. http://

stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/guidance/831193/offensive-language.pdf

Ofcom Broadcasting guidance – Section Five http://

stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/guidance/831193/section5.pdf

Ofcom section relating to Alex Dyke’s comments.

Dyke’s comments about breast feeding are emerging social concerns, because it wasn’t until recently around 5-10 years ago, women felt confident to breast feed in public which offended a lot of people, since it started other women have been encouraged to do the same thing. But Dykes comments offended a natural thing that should be accepted, instead he used sexist comments towards women. Women are told it’s “disgusting” to breast feed in public when all they are doing is feeding a child, breast feeding is a way of feeding a baby and also creating a close bond and connection between mother and child. People are fine with seeing breasts on an image or video, or in a revealing top but as soon as breasts are shown in a non sexual way it is suddenly disgusting and wrong, it’s suddenly wrong that women are using breasts for what they are for which Is to feed a child. How can one be acceptable but the other not? When the other is just showing something natural. My mum didn’t care about the rules or the disgusting glances and used to breast feed my younger brother in public over ten years ago, showing myself that it’s natural and that it shouldn’t be shown as disgusting or shameful. Another social concern is people who are a part of the LGBT+ community showing their relationships proudly in public, around twenty years ago this was shown as disgusting and unnatural, to have happened people who are gay were classed as mentally ill and were sectioned in hospitals for being something that is out of their control and that is natural. It has only been until recently when gay marriage has been legalised in many countries, that people who are of the LGBT+ community have been proud about their relationships and have shown their relationships publicly like any other couple. It shouldn’t have ever been something to be ashamed off. People still feel weird about seeing an openly gay couple in public, yet some people are fine with seeing sexual gay images or videos whether its girl and girl or boy and boy online, but as soon as a real loving relationship is shown in public its wrong and disgusting. How can one be acceptable and the other not?

Would you class the issue around Dyke’s comments as an emerging social concerns and expectation? What other emerging social concerns and expectations are there?