London's XFM 104.9 has been found in breach of broadcasting rules after failing to deliver "absurd" prizes promised by one of its presenters.
Rick Shaw’s Drivetime featured a regular competition called The Random Question
Generator which granted listeners prizes such as “a girlfriend”, “a private jet” and “a pint of milk”.
Ofcom received a complaint from a competition winner who believed the prize pledges made by Shaw were genuine.
GCap argued that the competition was obviously a joke, and that "sheer nonsensical nature of some of the requests and the presenter’s nonchalant response clearly indicated this."
The company also added that it was standard procedure to advise entrants prior to going on air that they would be asked to state a random but fictitious prize.
Whilst the regulators acknowledged the relaxed tone of the competition, Ofcom did not consider it reasonable for the broadcaster to assume that potential entrants would have always recognised the presenter’s on-air agreement to supply specific prizes as “a joke”, no matter how absurd or ludicrous it was.
