Sine FM in trouble for 65 swear words broadcast in one hour

Community radio station Sine FM in Doncaster has been found in breach of the Broadcast Code for playing a music mix containing over 60 swear words.

The station says the presenter of High Definition, an Urban music show, was distracted by an urgent family phone call so selected an unedited mix of music tracks to play out by mistake.

Higher Rhythm, which holds the licence for Sine FM, apologised for this incident and accepted this part of the show was “littered with expletives”.

The Licensee said the type of language that was the subject of this complaint was “strictly prohibited” from being broadcast on the station and was “simply down to human error”.

It said all Sine FM volunteers are given training about Ofcom broadcasting rules, adding this error had been discussed “at length” with the presenter. The Licensee told Ofcom the presenter had voluntarily stepped down citing his “own lack of preparation for being the cause of the error”.

Higher Rhythm also said that, in the wider context of this radio show, some of the lyrics would use language typical of music within the Urban genre. However, the Licensee accepted the wrong tracks had been broadcast in error during this programme and that there was “no justification” for the context in which this material was played.

Ofcom found the station in breach, saying it was particularly concerned at the repeated use of the most offensive language, and other offensive language, in the early evening.

The list of songs and swears words are in the image below. Only click to open full size if you want to read them.