Radio Exe stops playing Blurred Lines song

Radio Exe has suspended all plays of Robin Thicke’s summer hit Blurred Lines after Charlotte Church branded the song derogatory to women at this week’s Radio Festival.

The station is now consulting with listeners about the future for the song, even though it has been on air for most of the year.

Charlotte attacked the music industry for its “culture of demeaning women”, criticising female stars Miley Cyrus and Rihanna for complicity in a sexist business. She then said Canadian musician Robin Thicke is “a mediocre” performer of “misogynist” material.

In her John Peel Lecture in Manchester this week, at which Radio Exe’s chief executive Paul Nero and presenter Ashley Jeary were in the audience, the singer appealed for sanctions against songs that use “soft porn” in its accompanying music videos and promotion online. She said it “drives up online views and subsequently encourages more radio play. The Blurred Lines video had the biggest role to play in jettisoning a song by a mediocre artist into the biggest hit of the year.

“The indefensible Robin Thicke stated in an interview with GQ that his intention was to do everything that is completely derogatory towards women because he respects them so much. I’m like ‘What a pleasure it is to degrade a woman!’”

Although Blurred Lines has featured on Radio Exe for a number of months, the station has this week suspended it from its programmes. It is not an outright ban at this stage whilst the station consults with its listeners.

Chief executive Paul Nero told RadioToday.co.uk: “A number of our team have been uncomfortable with the lyrics in this song from the outset. Charlotte Church’s impassioned speech gave us considerable food for thought about our own complicity in what she rightly suggested was the sexist music industry. But we’re not entirely comfortable either with censorship of material that is otherwise legal and in line with broadcasting codes. So we’re consulting with our listeners and will then make a final decision.

“In the meantime, we are replacing the track with Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up” (the estate of Marvin Gaye had threatened Robin Thicke and his associates with legal action for copyright infringement on the track).”