GWR Bristol have fallen foul of Ofcom due of the antics of a potty mouthed rabbit. The regulators found the station in breach of broadcasting code over an Easter promotion in which the Easter Bunny uses the phrase "fat motherfkers". Meanwhile Mercia FM has also been found in breach for undue promotion of a local car dealership during programming time.
GWR had produced a trail for an Easter promotion with the words “fking” and “motherfker” but the masking was only partial, which meant that the words were plainly heard. Two complaints were received by Ofcom after listeners to the Bush & Troy breakfast show heard: “Easter bunny here. If you laugh at my big teeth again, I’ll knock yours out. Happy fking Easter, you fat motherf**ker”.
In their defense, GCap stated the trails were not checked by the programme’s producer or the production team before it went on air because GWR’s editorial resources were “considerably stretched” by a marketing promotion it was involved in.
Despite the words being two of the most offensive that could be broadcast on the radio, the station was not fined by Ofcom.
Meanwhile, Mercia FM was also found to be in breach after a live OB into programmes repeatedly promoted a local car dealership. A listener complained about one link in particular, broadcast by the station's Thunder Crew during programming:
[i]“…I’m going to get myself over to Coventry’s new Sytner Car Garage on Holyhead Road, between now and Sunday, and pick myself up a brand new BMW M3 saloon … it’s all very sparkly. They’re unveiling this new M3. Get yourself down there before Sunday and have a look at all the new nice shiny cars they’re showing off. We’ll be out and about … giving out prizes, giving out leaflets, explaining what’s going to be
down there. So come and find us in and about Coventry and get down to Sytner on the Holyhead Road… ”. [/i]
Several Ofcom rules prohibit such deliberate product promotion during programming, which GCap explained as "an overly zealous Thunder Co-ordinator who was relatively new and naively thought he was being creative in how he set up the audio link.”
