Real Radio Scotland has responded to Ofcom in relation to three recent complaints against the regional GMG station. The first two complaints were regarding ‘The Real Summer Quiz’ broadcast on two separate dates, with the third about the Real Football Phone in.
In the case of 15th June 2007 Real were found in breach of rules 10.3 and 10.4 of the Broadcasting code. Ofcom said that there was no editorial justification for the presenter to base a question on People’s Ford and its roducts.
Real were also found in breach of Rule 9.5 following The ‘Real Summer Quiz’ on 21st June.
Rule 9.5 prohibits promotional references to a sponsor or its products and services in the sponsored programme and requires that non- promotional references are editorially justified and incidental.
There was a second breach of rule 9.5 following a broadcast on 1st August 2007 of ‘The Real Football Phone in.’ Ofcom did not believe that interjections of a different presenter were intentionally promotional. However, they were a personal endorsement of Coca Cola Zero, the sponsor of the competition and were not therefore editorially justified or incidental.
Ofcom has welcomed Real’s apologies and continued action and assurance concerning future compliance. Ofcom also noted that Real Radio has a generally good compliance record.