BBC1 TV Panorama: Have I Got Bad Language For You? View programme

STANDARDS? WHAT THE **** ARE THEY!?

Standards? What The **** Are They!?
The House Magazine 26/1/2009

REGULATION OF BAD LANGUAGE IN THE PAST
That the broadcasting authorities apparently regard the matter seriously is evident from the way the subject is treated in the Codes and Guidelines.  The frequency and worsening nature of bad language in programmes, identified in monitoring conducted by mediawatch-uk, indicates how little attention is paid to them.

The BBC's Producers' Guidelines, currently in force, recognises that:
"strong language is a subject of deep concern to many people and is one of the most frequent causes of complaint."  However, it goes on "in the right context strong language may cause little offence and in some situations it may be wholly justified in the interests of authenticity.

Offence is often caused by the casual use of names considered holy by believers, for example the use of 'Jesus Christ' or 'God' or of names held holy by other faiths. Certain, mainly four-letter, words must not be used without advance reference to and approval from Channel or Network Controllers of domestic services."

The Programme Code of the Independent Television Commission, issued in April 2001, states:
"There is no absolute ban on the use of bad language.  But many people are offended, some of them deeply, by the use of bad language, including expletives with a religious (and not only Christian) association.  Offence is most likely if the language is contrary to audience expectation.  Bad language must be defensible in terms of context and scheduling with warnings where appropriate."

The Code of Guidance of the Broadcasting Standards Commission issued in June 1998 suggests that:
"the use of language of all kinds is never static and levels of offence undergo constant change. There is also a concern that, in constant use, expletives can represent an impoverishment of language and a barrier to communication"

It goes on:
"Research has indicated that audiences consider the use of bad language to be unacceptable in certain circumstances and its repetitive use was disliked by 86% of respondents."

If you want to complain about the language used in a television or radio programme email Ofcom here: contact@ofcom.org.uk

REGULATION OF BAD LANGUAGE NOW
EFFING AND FINING ... Ofcom Explains
Swearing on TV and radio has always been a contentious subject and in recent weeks broadcasters have come under increasing fire over the issue.  Several national newspapers have launched campaigns to curb bad language and MPs have also waded into the debate.   But rules already exist on what can be aired and when - and Ofcom takes action if these rules are broken.
Broadcasting Code
Ofcom's Broadcasting Code sets standards for television and radio shows which broadcasters have to follow.  These rules not only exist to protect viewers and listeners but also to ensure broadcasters have the freedom to make challenging programmes.  For example, broadcasters can transmit provocative material, such as swearing, sex scenes and violence.  But if they do transit such material they have to ensure it is editorially justified and the audience is given appropriate information.
Watershed
The Code also has strict rules on swearing before the 9pm watershed when children could be watching.  It states that the ‘most offensive language' must not be broadcast before the watershed or when children are particularly likely to be listening. 

Offensive language must also not be used in programmes made for younger children, except in the most exceptional circumstances.  Frequent use of offensive language must be avoided before the watershed and any usage must be justified by the context.  Whenever viewers and listeners complain about a programme they have seen or heard, we assess it against the Code.
Broadcast Bulletin
If we find a programme has broken those rules, then it will be found in breach of the Code. In very serious cases, we will consider further action, including fining a broadcaster.  We publish a Broadcast Bulletin fortnightly which includes our latest complaints adjudications.
Ofcom News release 13/11/2008

Ofcom's Broadcasting Code states in the section on Offensive Language:

1.14 The most offensive language must not be broadcast before the watershed or when children are particularly likely to be listening.

1.15 Offensive language must not be used in programmes made for younger children except in the most exceptional circumstances.

1.16 Offensive language must not be broadcast before the watershed, or when children are particularly likely to be listening, unless it is justified by the context.  In any event, frequent use of such language must be avoided before the watershed.

Speaking on BBC TV Panorama 26/1/2009, Chris Banatvala, Head of Standards at Ofcom, was asked by Frank Skinner: "What's your general advice (about swearing on TV), your general guidelines?"  Mr Banatvala said: "It's impossible to say without looking at the context of the programme, to making sure that any phrases that you do use, and minor swear words that you might use, are justified by the editorial nature of the programme.  (We also ask ourselves) how many children are likely to watch, how close to the watershed is it, what channel its on.  It is very difficult to give you a golden rule about what you must and must not do."


LATEST PRESS COVERAGE ON THE ISSUE


BBC's New Swearing Watershed
The BBC has been told to ban swearing on its flagship channel until 10pm  -  after viewers told a TV standards investigation they were fed up with bad language.  Under the new regime suggested by the BBC Trust, the most offensive words will almost always be bleeped out or cut for another hour after the 9pm watershed on BBC1. 

The suggested change of policy follows a BBC report commissioned in the wake the Jonathan Ross-Russell Brand affair, during which obscene messages were left on Andrew Sachs's answerphone.  This revealed that a third of all viewers had spoken 'unprompted' about their concerns over strong language on TV. 

In response to the findings, the corporation's governing body, the BBC Trust, has recommended that the most offensive swearwords should be broadcast only in 'exceptional circumstances' on BBC1 between 9pm and 10pm.
Daily Mail 25/6/2009
Read more... 

BBC Bows to Viewers and Curbs Swearing after 9pm Watershed
In a sign that the BBC's policy of pushing back the boundaries was out of step with public attitudes, its own survey found that viewers condemned the proliferation of foul language and offensive content.

Responding to the largest piece of audience research ever undertaken by the BBC, the BBC Trust said it had asked Mark Thompson, the director-general, to consider broadcasting the most offensive language between 9pm and 10pm only in "exceptional" circumstances. 

The BBC is now planning an about-turn in several areas of editorial policy. The 9pm watershed will no longer be regarded as a cut-off point after which audiences can be subjected to swearing and sexual content.  Strong language may be "bleeped out" regardless of whether or not the show is broadcast after 9pm. Programmes will be obliged to carry warnings of potentially offensive content at all times of the day. 

Viewers said the BBC should be regarded as upholding standards in British broadcasting, but instead had stooped to the level of its commercial rivals.
Daily Telegraph 24/6/2009
Read more...    The Independent   BBC Trust response

Dench Swearing Prompts Complaints
Every film in which actress Dame Judi Dench swears results in complaints, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has said in its annual report. A handful of film-goers objected to her use of an expletive in 12A-rated Bond movie Quantum of Solace, but the complaints were "expected", it said.

The body, which certifies films, DVDs and games, has updated its guidelines. Releases will be vetted for issues of prejudice for the first time alongside violence, swearing and sexual content. Issues of race, gender, sexuality and disability will be taken into account when the BBFC issues certificates. 

Under the new guidelines, a DVD box set of US comedy series Friends has been given a 12 rating instead of a PG because of the single use of the word spastic. The organisation, which has reviewed its guidelines for the first time in four years, has said that the tone and meaning will come under scrutiny as well as what appears on screen.

It says that some releases which fall between two certificates could now be pushed into a more rigorous classification. The Dark Knight's 12A rating was criticised.
Rules about horror films have been tightened in the 12 and 12A category, meaning that 2001 release The Others, starring Nicole Kidman, would now be given a higher certificate.

The BBFC came to their conclusions after consulting 8,700 people. It said that in the last year it received 853 e-mails and letters about its classifications. The decision to give hard-hitting film The Dark Knight a 12A certificate generated the most public concern, with 364 complaints being received by the BBFC.
BBC Online 24/6/2009
Read More...

Row Over Bad Language on BBC's The Archers
Listeners have complained after Matt Crawford told his arch rival Brian Aldridge to "p--- off" during a drunken encounter in a bar.  It is understood to be the first time such language has been broadcast on The Archers and fans have posted messages on its own website saying it does not fit with the context of the show. 

Moderators who are responsible for monitoring the content of the official Archers website have removed some postings which repeat the offending phrase. 

John Beyer, the director of mediawatch-uk, which campaigns for better standards on radio and television, said: "I think people generally speaking expect better than this from The Archers.  The audience for The Archers is what it is and they would not expect to hear language like this in the programme."
Sunday Telegraph 23/5/2009
Read more...

Petition Demands Cut in TV Swearing
A TV watchdog group - set up by famous campaigner Mary Whitehouse - is calling for the government to clampdown on bad language on television.  The calls come after BBC chiefs claimed the public were ‘relaxed' about the use of expletives. 

Ashford-based mediawatch-uk launched a petition calling for the issue to be tackled - and launched an online petition on the Downing Street website. More than 5,000 concerned viewers signed up. 

The petition was sparked following comments from Mark Thompson, director general of the BBC, which emerged following a survey of 7,000 viewers which was privately commissioned for the broadcaster in the wake of the Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand phone-in scandal.  To be presented to the BBC Trust, the survey is believed to reveal that most viewers were ‘unconcerned' about the use of bad language in certain contexts - particularly after the 9pm watershed.  It is also likely to suggest few want more censorship. 

John Beyer, director of mediawatch-uk, said: "Mark Thompson should have taken a firmer line on swearing. This survey is sweeping the issue under the carpet by trying to say people are not bothered, when really people don't want to be switching on their TV and finding something offensive."
KentNews 23/5/2009
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Vulgar Truth About Obscenity on TV
Brace yourselves dear readers because as far as humanly possible, this article will contain no swearing and these days that is apparently more shocking than a liberal sprinkling of four letter words. 

According to Mark Thompson, director-general of the BBC, it would be perfectly acceptable if this article were peppered with profanity because we are all quite relaxed about that sort of thing.  He bases this assertion on a recent survey on taste and decency which is to go before the BBC Trust this week and purports to show that most viewers do not mind bad language on tele­vision. 

In fact, a substantial minority of viewers and listeners are in favour of less censorship than we have at the moment. The Trust requested a review of editorial standards following the Russell Brand-Jonathan Ross deb­acle, in which the pair left an obscene message on the answering machine of actor Andrew Sachs. 

The survey involved about 7,000 members of the public and reveals a lack of concern among viewers about the use of bad language in certain contexts, particularly after the 9pm watershed.
Daily Express 19/5/2009
Read more...     Concerned about media standards?

Poll Gives BBC Excuse for Even More Swearing
A BBC report will show that the public is more relaxed than ever about swearing on TV - sparking fears that it will give the corporation a licence to air even more bad language. 

The survey of viewers' attitudes on taste and decency was ordered by the BBC Trust after the furore over Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand leaving lewd messages on veteran actor Andrew Sachs's answerphone. 

The report is said to show that viewers are "relaxed" about the use of bad language, especially after the 9pm watershed.  About 7,000 members of the public were interviewed and the results will be presented to the BBC Trust later this month.  

But the findings are contrary to a survey last year in Radio Times, in which 69% of 4,500 people polled said that there was too much swearing on TV. 

Watchdogs fear the latest report will stop the BBC cleaning up its act.   John Beyer, of mediawatch-uk, said: "There is already far too much swearing on TV that is entirely unnecessary. My fear is that Mark Thompson, the BBC's director general, will tell everybody that it is business as usual.  But swearing alienates television viewers. If they are going to carry on broadcasting swearing, the BBC will alienate swathes more viewers."
Daily Express 18/5/2009
Read more...     Panorama

BBC Viewers Relaxed About Swearing on TV and Radio
One of the most exhaustive pieces of research conducted by the BBC into viewers' attitudes to taste and decency is said to show that most are relaxed about the use of bad language on air. 

The corporation will submit the results of the survey, which involved around 7,000 members of the public, to the BBC Trust this week. The trust had asked the management to review its editorial guidelines on taste and standards in the wake of the resignation of Russell Brand and the suspension of Jonathan Ross after they left an obscene message on actor Andrew Sachs's voicemail. 

The review is also likely to show that, as well as most viewers being unconcerned about the use of bad language in certain contexts, particularly after the 9pm watershed, a substantial minority of viewers and listeners are in favour of less censorship. Viewers apparently objected to the behaviour of Ross and Brand because of the bullying tone of the broadcast rather than the fact that swearing was used.
The Observer 17/5/2009
Read more...

Gordon Ramsay Slammed for Record Number of f-Words
Foul-mouthed Gordon Ramsay was slammed by watchdogs after the f-word was used a record 115 times in the first 40 minutes of his show.  Ramsay's Great British Nightmare featured the chef berating managers as he tried to turn around two failing restaurants. 

In an explosive confrontation between one owner and his chef, the word was used 30 times in Ramsay under two minutes. The excessive swearing drew 51 complaints from viewers - many of them Ramsay fans.  Channel 4, which aired the two-hour special in January, escaped a fine.
Mirror 12/5/2009
Read more...

C4 Rapped Over Ramsay; Pre-Watershed Sex Cleared
Ofcom has rapped Channel 4 over Gordon Ramsay's swearing immediately after the watershed - but has cleared pre-watershed sex that was "at the edge of acceptability". 

The regulator has upheld 51 complaints over the two-hour special Ramsay's Great British Nightmare, which featured 115 uses of the word 'f***' and its derivatives in its first 40 minutes.

Half an hour in, a two-minute row featured the word 'f******' 30 times in two minutes.  Ofcom noted that the complainants included many fans of Ramsay's shows who felt he had gone too far.  Despite Ramsay's reputation for profanity, it said C4 "did not apply generally accepted standards" in scheduling the show at 9pm. 

Meanwhile, Ofcom rejected 152 complaints about C4 series The Sex Education Show, which discussed topics such as pornography and sexually-transmitted diseases and featured close-ups of genitalia in an 8pm slot.  However, with particular reference to the follow-up series The Sex Education Show v Pornography, which aired at 9pm, it argued that the show would have been more appropriately scheduled after the watershed. 

The regulator said a discussion of tantric sex was particularly close to the bone.  "The nature of some of the images in the series was at the limits of what is considered to be acceptable under the Code for this time," Ofcom said. "During this item, the programme's emphasis shifted from educating and informing viewers about sexual health to suggesting methods of improving sexual technique and arousal."
Broadcastnow 11/5/2009
Read more... 

US TV Swearing Policy 'Correct'
The US government's policy of fining broadcasters over the use of even a single swear word on live TV is justified, the Supreme Court has ruled.  The "fleeting expletives" policy, introduced in 2004, was on hold after a legal challenge by TV company Fox.  The Federal Communications Commission introduced the rule after Bono swore at the 2003 Golden Globes. It previously had a "one free expletive" rule. 

Justice Antonin Scalia said the new policy had been "entirely rational".  Fox's legal challenge stemmed from a 2006 FCC ruling that the network had violated decency during its broadcast of the Billboard Music Awards at which celebrities had sworn.
BBC News online 28/4/2009
Read more...

TV is Turning Our Children into Little Yobs
by Anne Diamond
Kids soak up television faster than kitchen paper absorbs household spills. Any parent knows it, and has seen it in children's behaviour since the days of Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which turned my boys into hyperactive aliens until I carefully limited their TV time and steered them back towards Postman Pat. 

Now, however, the nation's teachers are reporting that too much television is making life unbearable at school - transforming our little Siennas, Chloes, Joshuas and Mohammeds into a generation of foul-mouthed Vicky Pollards and Gordon Ramsays. 

I know they're right - because I have heard it, too. Kids do copy swearing from TV and it's not the same sort of swearing you used to overhear several years ago from the kids at the corner shop or the bus stop, who'd let a fourletter word slip out, have a giggle and then instinctively hush up because adults were within earshot. 

Nowadays, the swearing, aggressive, defiant behaviour is right in your face. They're proud of it. It defines them.  After all, it's on the telly, isn't it?
Daily Mail 2/4/2009
Read article 

Swearing, Sex and Phone-In Scams see Ofcom Fines Soar by 1,000 Per Cent
Figures obtained by the Conservatives show that the level of penalties issued by the broadcasting watchdog since its establishment increased from £452,500 in 2004 to a record £4.7 million last year. 

Fines were handed out in to mainstream broadcasters such as the BBC and ITV, as well as cable channels including Television X and MTV.   They were issued for offences such as running fake phone-in competitions and screening sexually explicit material and offensive language before the watershed.  

The revelations come amid growing concern about standards in the wake of the Jonathan Ross scandal and criticism of stars such as Gordon Ramsay, the television chef who is known for his bad language.  Last month, Ofcom received a number of complaints after an episode of one of his programmes, Gordon's Great British Nightmares, contained 312 swear words in 103 minutes.  

Jeremy Hunt, the shadow culture secretary, who released the figures, said: "These figures suggest either that standards are slipping, or more worryingly that broadcasters are simply ignoring fines and treating them as a cost of being in business. 

You don't have to be Mary Whitehouse to worry about the increase in swearing on TV, but these fines are for a much wider range of offences.  All broadcasters have a duty to act more responsibly and cut down on these serious breaches of the broadcasting code.'' 

John Beyer, director of mediawatch-uk, said: "Television channels and programme commissioners are not as fully acquainted with the broadcasting code as they should be and they are are out of touch with the public mood about swearing.  Ofcom should be advising broadcasters about what is acceptable and what is not.  Numerous opinion polls show that people say there is too much violence, bad language and nudity in television programmes."
Daily Telegraph 18/2/2009
Read more...    Daily Mail  

Is This the Foulest 'Comedy ' Ever?
TV watchdog Ofcom is preparing for a wave of complaints this week over the shocking language used in a Channel 4 sitcom.  The c-word featured three times in the new comedy, Free Agents, first aired last Friday. 

Actor Anthony Head plays the head of a talent agency in the six-part series, written by Chris Niel and described as a caustic romantic comedy.  Head, who became famous in the cult show Buffy The Vampire Slayer, said: "Free Agents is a very adult show but it is very ­funny, and I get to say words I've never said on ­television before. It's very ­liberating." 

In the first few minutes, Head's character Stephen Cauldwell said: "Good morning, my dear c***s." The f-word also featured 22 times in the half-hour episode. 

mediawatch-uk spokesman John Beyer said: "The obscene language in this programme is appalling by any standard. It shows a disregard of public concern that is completely unacceptable from a public service broadcaster. 

We invite readers to sign our Stop Swearing on TV online petition to the Prime Minister and we call again on the regulator, ­Ofcom, to rewrite the terms of its Broadcasting Code so that offensive language of this sort and ­intensity attracts substantial fin­ancial penalties."

An Ofcom spokesman said: "All TV stations must abide by our Broadcasting Code."
Sunday Express 15/2/2009
Read more...

BBC 'Sorry' Over Bale Swear Gaffe
The BBC has apologised after an unedited clip of the leaked tape of Christian Bale swearing was played on BBC One's Breakfast programme.  "A technical error led to us broadcasting an unacceptable swear word," said a spokeswoman.  Presenters Charlie Stayt and Susanna Reid gasped as the unbleeped clip of the Batman star's tirade went out.  A clearly stunned Reid said: "An enormous apology, that was definitely supposed to be edited."
BBC News online 6/2/2009
Read more...     MediaGuardian

Sack Ramsay Call
Channel 4 is being urged to fire Gordon Ramsay after he swore 243 times in one show.  His guests took the total to 312 expletives, one for every 20 seconds of Gordon's Great British Nightmare.  The chef's first F-word came just 31 seconds into the programme.

One 95-second scene had 37 obscenities.  Dozens of viewers complained and Ann Widdecombe has led calls for Ramsay to be sacked.  "Anybody who swears that much on a cooking show must be fired," said the former Tory minister. "Most people were already fed up with him. This is the final straw." 

mediawatch-uk director John Beyer said: 'This is a serious political issue. Ramsay's behaviour was unacceptable and Channel 4 is ultimately responsible for it.  They know what he is like and it's completely wrong for them to let this go when it has caused so much offence. 

The channel's whole remit as a public service broadcaster needs to be investigated by the Government if it refuses to take on board the concerns of viewers and politicians.'
Daily Mail 2/2/2009
Read more...

Sign Stop Swearing On TV petition here

Should we Pay for More Bad Television?
by Stephen Pollard
The Times 2/2/2009
Read article

Ramsay Sets Swearing Record
Gordon Ramsay has set a new record - for the most swear words in a TV show.  Gordon's Great British Nightmare aired on Channel 4 on Friday night as part of the broadcaster's Great British Food Fight season and featured 312 expletives - one for every 20 seconds of the 103-minute show. 

Ramsay himself swore 243 times, including 187 uses of the word 'f***', the first of which came 31 seconds into the programme.  C4 defended the broadcast, which received 69 complaints from viewers, as a typical example of Ramsay's "passionate and frustration". 

"He is a well-known TV personality and viewers know what to expect when watching these programmes," C4 said. "This was an extended two-hour programme shown after the watershed and preceded by an on-air warning about its content."
Broadcastnow 2/2/2009
Read more...

Effing Record
The heat's on Gordon Ramsay after he used the F-word a record 132 times.  His two-hour show Ramsay's Great British Nightmare was peppered with the obscenity.  He screamed at staff in two failing restaurants, who hit back with 50 F-words of their own.  Channel 4 had 49 complaints but is braced for more. 

Watchdog mediawatch-uk yesterday urged the government to withdraw the channel's public funding.  Director John Beyer said: "Gordon doesn't need to swear. There's so much public concern about swearing on TV."  Channel 4 defended Gordon.

A spokesman said: "It was after the watershed. The swearing is a expression of Gordon's passion."
News of the World 1/2/2009

Call for Ofcom Probe as Ramsay's 240 F-words Cause Outrage
Gordon Ramsay was at the centre of a new TV storm last night after the F-word was used 240 times during just one episode of his latest show.  Viewers flooded Channel 4 with complaints after a total of 312 swear words in 103 minutes - that's one every 20 seconds - on Friday's Gordon's Great British Nightmare. 

Last night former Labour minister Denis MacShane said: "Gordon Ramsay might be a good chef, but he is a terrible role model to every child and adolescent in Britain. He is giving two-fingers to people who care about the English language. Channel 4 should give Britain a break from this foul-mouthed soup-stirrer. 

This is a clear breach of Ofcom's rules on swearing and it should launch an investigation into the programme immediately." 

Lib-Dem MP Don Foster said: "This is getting beyond a joke. When you hear about this much swearing in a single programme, you're tempted to utter an expletive yourself.  We have got to tone it down because bad language on TV is seeping into society." 

An Ofcom spokesman said they were unable to comment on complaints received over the weekend until next week.
Sunday Mirror 1/2/2009
Read more...

Panorama: Have I Got Bad Language for You!
Review by Roland White
Is there too much swearing on television? Or, in words a celebrity chef might better understand, is there too much f***ing swearing on the f***ing box?

Frank Skinner, presenting a report on the subject for Panorama, uncovered compelling evidence to suggest that there might be: a complaint by the comedian Roy "Chubby" Brown about Jamie Oliver's bad language. Oliver is a cook, said Brown, so why does he need to be "effin' and jeffin' all night"? (Quite so: you never heard that sort of thing from F**** Cradock.) 

For programmes like Panorama, Brown is the new Bernard Manning: the public face of political incorrectness and bad taste. For him to complain about swearing is like Beatrix Potter criticising modern books as insufficiently edgy, being too full of fluffy rabbits, squirrels and suchlike. Brown is so famous for his bad language, he is kept from our screens, probably to stop the beep operators developing repetitive strain injury. 

The relaxed view about swearing is that comedy will lose its edge if bad language is no longer allowed. This depends, of course, on what you mean by edge. Isn't edgy supposed to be challenging and new? Swearing cannot possibly be edgy: it's so commonplace on television, you half expect Fiona Bruce to introduce us to the Antiques F***ing Roadshow.

A Panorama poll found that 55% of people thought there was now too much swearing, while 68% thought language had worsened in the past five years. Skinner said that he'd tamed his language on stage, while Al Murray, one of television's most popular comedians, said he rarely swore during his act. You wonder, though, whether some comedians might be in denial about their material. Even Skinner.

Revealingly, he defended a joke in which he impersonated a cerebral-palsy sufferer; it had prompted complaints to Ofcom. "It was about attitudes to disability," he said. Maybe so, but it was the funny walk that got the laughs.  Skinner asked some good questions, but his conclusion was limper than a Carry On remake: "If we work together in a reasonable way, then there's no need for anyone to be offended." Thank you, vicar.
Sunday Times Culture 1/2/2009
Read more...

TV Swearing Level 'Unacceptable'
Over half of people think that there is currently too much bad language on TV and radio, a poll commissioned for the BBC's Panorama programme suggests.

55% of those polled said swearing is at an "unacceptable" level. 68% of those questioned said that swearing on programmes had increased in the last five years.

The poll was conducted for Panorama's Have I Got Bad Language for You? in which comedian Frank Skinner looks at taste and decency in UK broadcasting.
BBC Panorama Poll 26/1/2009

Skinner Frank on Four-Letter Words
The amount of swearing on TV and radio is an emotive subject guaranteed to stir up passionate debate.  It seems that the issue of four-letter words and standards in general has hardly been out of the headlines in recent months.

Countless column inches were devoted to the topic in the aftermath of the Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand incident on Radio 2.  Several national newspapers launched campaigns to curb bad language on TV and MPs also waded into the debate.

In last night's Panorama on BBC1, comedian Frank Skinner examined the whole issue of swearing on TV and radio.  As part of this investigation Frank interviewed Ofcom's Director of Standards, Chris Banatvala.

Chris was responsible for the development of Ofcom's first Broadcasting Code, which sets standards for television and radio programmes which broadcasters have to follow.  He has responsibility for the enforcement and policy development of standards regulation in broadcasting.
Ofcom News release 26/1/2009

Ross Says: 'It's Nice to be Back'
Jonathan Ross said "It's nice to be back" as he returned to radio after a 12-week suspension for broadcasting lewd messages with comedian Russell Brand on BBC's Radio 2.

Director of BBC Vision Jana Bennett told ITV1's Tonight programme Ross had spoken to BBC bosses about the use of "over-the-top language" and limits on what he should broadcast after his return. She said the calls to Sachs were "an act of broadcasting madness". 

She said she had a "sinking feeling" and added: "It didn't feel like the sort of thing that we would have chosen to broadcast. And indeed, then finding out that we had, made that feeling even, even worse."
Press Association 24/1/2009

Have I Got Bad Language for You?
Britain's broadcasters are increasingly having to justify their output as they come under attack from an indignant audience.  Last year's row over lewd phone calls being broadcast on BBC Radio 2 ignited a debate about taste and decency in the media.

In Panorama's Have I got Bad Language For You? comedian Frank Skinner asks if the broadcasters have fallen below the standards demanded of them.  But it also raises the question of whether broadcasting is simply reflecting society's demands for more open programming.

Channel 4 is one broadcaster who feels its mission is to take risks.  This decade, it has gone as far as using swear words to brand some shows, such as The F Word.  Julian Bellamy, the head of Channel 4, notes there are some people who feel uncomfortable with the amount of swearing on television, but many others who are comfortable with it.
BBC Panorama 23/1/2009

Swearing Now The Blight of Britain
Swearing has become the curse of modern British life, with the vast majority of us no longer offended by bad language, according to shocking new research. Influenced by television, more than nine out of 10 adults now admit to swearing every day. And those who do not are often too fearful to challenge those who do.

The average Briton now swears a staggering 14 times a day, with 90 per cent of the adult population no longer fazed by the use of expletives. Our behaviour is heavily influenced by the increased use of bad language on television, say critics. They want the Government to tighten controls.

Broadcaster Esther Rantzen said last night: "Every body would agree that there is too much swearing on television and something has to change."  Esther, who is patron of the Campaign for Courtesy, added: "It is becoming ludicrous and banal. We don't want society to go that way too."

John Beyer, director of mediawatch-uk, said: "This sort of language is damaging our culture and the way we speak to each other. Children as young as four, five and six are copying it and it is undermining our language. There is no place for unnecessary swearing on television."
Daily Express 16/1/2009

BBC Chiefs Impose 'Swearing Ban' on Ross
BBC bosses have ordered Jonathan Ross to tone down swearing and smutty comments on his chatshow when it returns in the New Year.  The 48-year-old presenter has been told to avoid making 'sexually suggestive remarks' and 'unnecessary swearing' to prevent him attracting further controversy. 

But supporters of Ross fear that any scrutiny of his professional behaviour will end up stifling his humour and leave him a 'shadow of his former self'. 

The order came after a BBC Trust report condemned Ross for his role in the Andrew Sachs debacle, which saw the presenter and comedian Russell Brand leave obscene messages on the 78-year-old actor's answerphone. 

The report also hit out at Ross for the 'gratuitous and unnecessarily offensive' language he used towards actress Gwyneth Paltrow when he interviewed her last May.
Daily Mail 18/12/2008
Read more...

Jamie Oliver to Clean Up His Act
The celebrity chef, who has come under fire for his frequent use of bad language on air, will face more stringent editing before his shows are broadcast.  Zoë Collins, the head of Fresh One Productions, the company owned by Oliver that produces all of his programmes, said that she would be "much more mindful" of the level of swearing in future, and gave a strong indication that the use of expletives would be reduced. 

Mrs Collins, who is also an executive producer on Jamie's Ministry of Food, the Channel 4 series following attempts by Oliver to encourage the people of Rotherham to cook healthy meals, said that she could no longer ignore public opinion on the issue.

In November, a survey for The Sunday Telegraph also showed that the majority of people in Britain think that the f-word should never be used on air. In a nationwide poll by ICM, 56 per cent of those surveyed felt the f-word should never be broadcast.  More than half - 57 per cent - also said that there was too much swearing on television and radio. 

John Beyer, the director of the pressure group mediawatch-uk, said: "There has to be some level of responsibility taken by programme makers, where decisions are made responding to public opinions. 

"Unnecessary swearing on television alienates the audience, and cutting down on bad language is one way of avoiding that. It is a lesson that producers and broadcasters are taking a long time to learn, and I hope that more will follow suit."
Sunday Telegraph 14/12/2008
Read more...     Stop Swearing on TV

Britain Finds Foul-Mouthed Chefs a Little Too Salty
During a recent episode of "Jamie's Ministry of Food," the British television chef Jamie Oliver let fly with a four-letter word and its variations 23 times in 50 minutes. Nary a "bleep" was heard. 

A tolerance for foul-mouthed television chefs and talk-show hosts is one of those little things that used to separate Britain from an America riven by culture wars. But after several unusually saucy broadcasts, even the British seem to be having second thoughts about the language that goes out over their airwaves. 

A lobbying group called mediawatch-uk last month started a petition calling on the government to "stop the use of unnecessary swearing and bad language" on television and in the movies.  "The language we hear on television is damaging our language, our culture, our educational system," said John Beyer, director of mediawatch-uk.

"If they were to do something about that, it would have benefits across the board."  Beyer introduced the petition after the BBC Trust, which oversees the BBC, rebuked the broadcaster over a television talk show in which the host, Jonathan Ross, used a four-letter word in a sexual reference to a guest, the actress Gwyneth Paltrow.
International Herald Tribune 7/12/2008
Read more...

And Now It's Time for Film 2008... Without Jonathan Ross
Shamed BBC presenter Jonathan Ross has been dumped from his annual TV review of the year's films.  The comedian was due to present the December show, but his contributions have been cast on to the cutting-room floor. 

A BBC insider said: "Ross has been effectively removed from the show. He did an interview with Daniel Craig for Quantum Of Solace, but his questions have been edited out. Even his commentary has been done by another presenter." 

As part of the crusade, the broadcasting watchdog mediawatch-uk launched a Stop Swearing On TV petition on the Number 10 website.  John Beyer, director of mediawatch-uk, said: "In May the Radio Times conducted an opinion poll, which found that 69 per cent of people believed there is too much swearing on TV.  We believe swearing on TV has reached such proportions that it is threatening the English language, that it is undermining the Government's policies on education to improve communication skills and hindering initiatives to restore respect and civility to our society."  

Our calls for better standards on TV are already achieving results. In a victory for the Clean Up TV crusade, it has been revealed that the BBC re-edited its Martin Shaw drama Apparitions after the Sunday Express exposed graphic scenes of violence and gore, including the flaying a corpse in a gay sauna.
Sunday Express 7/12/2008
Read more...

Anger as Gordon Ramsay's Swearing on US Shows 'Unbleeped' for British TV
Now it can be revealed that expletives were inserted into Ramsay's show when it was broadcast in the UK, after they had been "bleeped out" in the original version first shown in the US. 

Campaigners said the decision to edit swear words back into Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA for British viewers was "extraordinary".  In one episode of the series, more than 40 swear words were heard by viewers when the programme aired on Channel 4 earlier this year, compared to none when it was broadcast by Fox in the US last year.  Critics said the difference showed that television channels in Britain can "do what they like". 

John Beyer, director of the campaign group mediawatch-uk, said: "It is extraordinary, and only goes to show how much the television channels here can do what they like.  They keep defending the amount of swearing on television, but all their concerns about 'freedom of expression' and 'the need to reflect reality' seem to go out of the window when it comes to making money by exporting these programmes to America, where they know audiences won't tolerate it." 

Channel 4 said its version was shown after Britain's 9pm watershed and was preceded by a "clear on-air warning" about its content. The US equivalent of the watershed is the 10pm "safe harbor", after which more swearing is permitted. 

A Channel 4 spokesman said: "Gordon Ramsay is a well-known TV personality and viewers watching his programmes know what to expect. In the context of Kitchen Nightmares the strong language is a genuine expression of Gordon's passion and frustration."
Daily Telegraph 6/12/2008
Read more...

Fed Up With Bad Language? Then Tell The Prime Minister!
A new online petition to the Prime Minister has been launched by mediawatch-uk, the organisation campaigning for good taste and decency on TV since the 1960s, calling for him to intervene with broadcasters and film-makers to remove unnecessary swearing from TV programmes and films. 

The petition follows on from the controversy surrounding obscene telephone messages made to Andrew Sachs by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross. 

Speaking today John Beyer, director of mediawatch-uk said he is delighted the petition is going so well.  "We have known for a very long time that many people are offended by swearing that is presented as entertainment on the main television channels. 

The fact that even the Executive Chairman of ITV, Michael Grade, observed recently that swearing is ‘indiscriminate' and ‘unrestrained' meant action is urgently needed to restore respect and civility to the airwaves. 

We know that research done by the Office of Communications (Ofcom) has found for the last four years that the majority believe there is too much swearing on television and it is time that something is done about it." 

Mr Beyer is inviting everyone who is concerned about swearing on TV to make their voices heard by signing the petition so that the Prime Minister is left in no doubt about the depth of public feeling on this matter.  "This is an opportunity for everyone to make a real difference that will benefit society as a whole," he said.
Mature Times 1/12/2008
Sign here     The Daily Grunt

BBC Cracks Down on Shamed Ross
Shamed TV host Jonathan Ross faces a new BBC crackdown.  The presenter has been warned that out-sourced programme production by stars is coming to an end as he comes under tougher BBC scrutiny. 

A senior executive said: "They are going to phase out the use of production companies owned by performers.  That is now policy."  He added: "There is a massive crackdown across the corporation.  It has stated in factual but it will spread to entertainment." 

Senior BBC executive Jana Bennett, commenting on the Ross show, had said: "There was a mutual thing to push back on the language.  We didn't want to get in to the situation where we were pushing away part of the audience."  

mediawatch-uk spokesman, John Beyer, said: "The question is whether this procedure will really satisfy the vast majority who do not want to hear those words at all.  The key passage from Jana Bennett is the astonishing admission that gratuitous swearing risks alienating swathes of viewers.  This has been the case for very many years and yet it is only now that there is some pressure on that the BBC admits it! 

The BBC's usual response is to justify everything, as they did with the torrent of swearing in Catherine Tate Christmas Show last year.  The decline in standards is one of the reasons why a lot of people resent paying the licence fee and clearly they are waking up to that at last."
Sunday Express 30/11/2008

Too Much Swearing on TV, say Viewers in Five News Poll
A majority of people think there is too much swearing on television, a Five news survey has found.  The opinion poll comes after the BBC director of vision, Jana Bennett, yesterday joined the ITV executive chairman, Michael Grade, in agreeing to rein back swearing in programming.  

Five News' survey, carried out by YouGov in the wake of the "Sachsgate" row, found that

• 57% of respondents agreed that there was too much swearing on TV, with
  
• 31% strongly agreeing.   Reactions differed according to gender, age and the regions people came from, with
  
• 63% of women agreeing there was too much swearing, compared with
  
• 51% of men. However,
  
• only 24% of 18- to 24-year-olds agreed, compared with
  
• 83% of over-55s - with 56% of them strongly agreeing. 
  
• Londoners were most immune to swearing on TV, with only 26% strongly agreeing there was too much, while
  
• Scottish viewers were at the other end of the scale with 35% in strong agreement. 
  

The survey questioned more than 2,000 adults across the UK between Monday and Wednesday this week.
MediaGuardian 28/11/2008
Read more...       Sign mediawatch-uk petition here

BBC Has a New Year Resolution: a Lot Less Television Swearing
The BBC is to allow less swearing on its television channels next year, the corporation's head of television said yesterday.  The decision follows the row over the obscene phone calls made by Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand to the 78-year-old actor Andrew Sachs, as well as growing unease with Ross's language on his Friday night BBC One show.

Jana Bennett, director of BBC Vision, said that the corporation did not want to alienate its viewers and had taken the decision to "push back" the number of expletives.  In its final report on the obscene calls row last week, the BBC Trust, the corporation's internal watchdog, criticised Ross's BBC One chat show.

In one programme, in May, he told the actress Gwyneth Paltrow that he "would f*** her", which the trust said was "gratuitous and unnecessarily offensive".
The Times 28/11/2008
Read more...

At Last, a BBC Boss Who Wants to CUT OUT the Swearing
The BBC has bowed to public outrage over offensive material by promising to reduce swearing.  On Thursday a senior executive at the corporation revealed it had decided to rein in foul language.  In particular, comedians will not be able to use the excuse that they are 'risk-taking' or 'trendy' when they use profanities. 

The move comes after the scandal that ensued when Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand left lewd messages on actor Andrew Sachs's answerphone. 

Last night BBC Vision director Jana Bennett said Ross had promised to cut swearing on his chat show before the Sachs dispute erupted.  But the corporation's decision to toughen up on the issue comes after a backlash from the public, politicians and respected broadcasters.
Daily Mail 28/11/2008
Read more...

BBC's Bennett Backs Grade on Swearing
BBC Vision director Jana Bennett has backed ITV executive chairman Michael Grade's call to heed unnecessary swearing on TV.  Speaking at the Media Festival today, Bennett endorsed Grade's recent comment that gratuitous swearing risked alienating swathes of viewers and said the BBC had already taken steps this autumn to scale back the use of the strongest language. 

While stopping short of saying BBC1 and BBC2 would noticeably scale back its use of strong language over the next year, Bennett said an attempt to redress the balance was already underway.  "I'm not sure that [the use of strong] language by itself is some sort of proof that it's really good, or makes you trendy or down with the kids," Bennett said. "We mustn't use the label 'risk taking' just to clear anything that anyone wants to say."
Broadcastnow 27/11/2008

Worst of BBC Swearing to be Vetted by Controllers
BBC producers have been warned that swear words used across the corporation's output must be approved by the controller of each station or channel.  The sign off policy has come in as the corporation is overhauling its compliance procedures in the wake of the Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand phone prank row last month. 

The BBC's top brass have informed its senior managers that the broadcaster cannot afford to invite further criticism over swearing, after it emerged that nobody at Radio 2 had listened to the show which featured the obscene calls Ross and Brand made to actor Andrew Sachs. 

A group headed by the BBC creative director Alan Yentob, director of archive content Roly Keating and the chief adviser for editorial policy Claire Powell is 'examining where the appropriate boundaries of taste and generally accepted standards should lie across all BBC output', ahead of a report to come out in the spring.  But until formal changes are made to its procedures next year, controllers of all BBC stations and channels are personally vetting each use of the most offensive swear words to ensure it is "editorially justified".
Daily Mail 26/11/2008
Read more...    Evening Standard

Jonathan Ross Told to Cut Out Smut and Swearing When He Returns to the BBC
Jonathan Ross is to be bound by a series of strict rules, including a ban on swearing and sexual innuendo, when he returns to the BBC next year.  The 48 year-old presenter has been controversially given the all-clear to go back to his £6 million-a-year job after his 12 week suspension for making obscene calls to 78-year-old actor Andrew Sachs. 

But Ross is to be formally notified by bosses that his chat show will need to meet a host of stringent regulations on taste and decency.  It comes after an episode, in which he told the actress Gwyneth Paltrow that he would 'f**k her' was branded 'gratuitous and not editorially justified' by the BBC Trust last week.  Sources claim that senior executives at Radio 2 have also examined the possibility of 'phasing out' Ross by placing a ban on him presenting any live BBC output.
Mail online 24/11/2008
Read more...

BBC Ordered to Cut Swearing After Manuelgate Affair
The BBC has vowed to "exercise considerable care" over bad language in a victory for the Mirror's campaign to crackdown on swearing on TV.  The corporation's governors, the BBC Trust, yesterday upheld complaints about Jonathan Ross turning the airwaves blue with his liberal use of the f-word on his chat show. 

It also slammed the potty-mouthed star for his part in the Manuelgate scandal, which it called "grossly offensive". Russell Brand, 33, quit over the "prank" and two radio chiefs lost their jobs.  BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons said: "Let me be absolutely clear.

There is no place on the BBC for casual and gratuitous use of the most offensive language without clear editorial justification."  But the mistakes which led to the scandal were not isolated failings, warned the trust. It identified four programmes which included offensive material.
Mirror.co.uk 22/11/2008
Read more...

Viewers Want Ban on TV Swearing
Almost two-fifths of viewers support a total ban on swearing on television, according to a new YouGov poll for The Sunday Times.  Some 30% of people believe the F-word should be banned, while 55% think the C-word should be outlawed.  However, nearly half of all viewers (49%) believe there should be a place for some swear words - albeit mild ones - in programmes. 

The findings follow calls by politicians and senior broadcasting figures, such as Michael Grade, the boss of ITV, and Sir Terry Wogan, the BBC presenter, for television to clean up its act.
Sunday Times 16/11/2008
Read more...

Majority Think f-word Should Not be Broadcast
Most people in Britain think the f-word should never be used on air, an opinion poll has found.  The survey for The Sunday Telegraph also shows that a majority believe that there is now too much swearing on television and radio, and that comedy programmes have become too vulgar. 

It comes after monitoring by this newspaper found that the f-word and its derivatives were used 88 times in a single week's evening television viewing. The findings have prompted calls for broadcasters to "eradicate" the use of the most offensive swear words from television and radio. 

In the nationwide poll of 1,005 adults, by ICM,

• 56% felt the word f*** should never be broadcast.
  
• Only 36% said it should be allowed, while
  
• 9% replied "it depends". 
• More than half - 57% - said that there was too much swearing on television and radio, while
  
• only 2% felt that there should be more, and
  
• 38% felt that broadcasters had got the balance right. 
  
• Asked whether television and radio comedy is too vulgar, 57% replied 'Yes', 39% 'No' and 4% 'Don't know'. 
  

John Beyer, the director of mediawatch-uk, the pressure group, called on broadcasters to take "urgent action" to reduce the amount of swearing on air.  "This poll clearly shows just how offensive the public finds certain words and how tired they are of hearing their repetitive use on air at any time of the day," he said. 

Broadcasters must take urgent action to eradicate gratuitous bad language from programmes. They are long overdue in responding to public opinion on the issue, and the poll shows that doing nothing is no longer an option."
Sunday Telegraph 9/11/2008
Read more...     Vulgar Britain

Sunday Express Crusade: Clean Up Our TV
In the face of a deepening crisis in trust over standards in broadcasting, the Sunday Express has launched a crusade to clean up television.  Against a background of 40,000 complaints about the offensive prank calls made by Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand, the news­paper is behind a new Decency in Television charter. 

The centrepiece of the new decency code is a ban on all swearing, before and after the 9pm watershed, with a £100,000 fine for offending broadcasters.  Echoing Mary Whitehouse's Clean Up TV campaign, the charter stops short of censorship but urges the Government to overhaul the regulatory system. Watchdog Ofcom, which has no accountability to the public, has failed to prevent a decline in standards. 

The BBC will next week show a shocking drama series, Apparitions, starring Martin Shaw, which features the skinning of a corpse in a gay sauna and graphic scenes of satanic ritual. ITV too is set to launch a new crime series, Above Suspicion, in which a corpse riddled with maggots is repeatedly shown. Robson Green's Wire In The Blood has also been accused of showing too many gory scenes. 

Meanwhile, the licence fee payer is set to pick up the bill for the Ross/Brand fiasco, with Ofcom considering fines of up to £1million for infringements of the Communications Act, which outlaws prank calls.  The Decency in TV Charter has already received high-profile backing.

mediawatch-uk, the broadcasting interest group, gave the code its full support.  Spokesman John Beyer said: "Michael Grade said that the use of the F-word and swearing generally was ‘unrestrained' and ‘indiscriminate'. He is right on this but he is not against swearing on TV per se.

He certainly understands that viewers are discontented and I guess he thinks if he improves language on ITV it will attract viewers away from other broadcasters. In this way, by improving programmes, he will reverse the fortunes of ITV. We have said for years, and not just about ITV, that this is the way to succeed. 

"The real and lasting solution to this problem is to strengthen the Broadcasting Code, which currently does not prohibit anything. Ofcom officials tell us that in regulating TV they cannot be more restrictive than the law allows but the use of obscene language in a public place is an offence. The problem is that the ‘front room' is not a public place." 

He urged the Government to introduce a new Communications Act and said he was confident this was being considered by Culture Secretary Andy Burham."
Sunday Express 9/11/2008
Read more...

Wogan Says: The Swearing's Got to STOP
Sir Terry Wogan yesterday called for TV and radio to clean up their acts in the wake of the Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand phone messages scandal.  He said broadcasting chiefs should bleep out swear words and accused desperate presenters of chasing 'street cred' by using foul language. 
He claimed the industry's efforts to attract younger listeners and viewers meant it was in danger of becoming out of touch with large parts of its audience. 

Sir Terry, 70, said he 'absolutely agreed' with ITV chief Michael Grade's calls for a clampdown on bad language on the airwaves.  'I don't think it is ever acceptable and I think there will be a backlash against it,' he said.  'The F-word is bad enough. It is just an example of people who are inarticulate'.
Daily Mail 7/11/2008
Read more...

Grade's Call Over Swearing on TV
Broadcasters must cut down on the use of bad language which has become "rather indiscriminate", ITV executive chairman Michael Grade has warned. 

The use of the "f-word" in particular was now "a little unrestrained", he said in a speech to a London meeting of the Broadcasting Press Guild (BPG).  He spoke in the wake of lewd prank calls made by Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand on BBC Radio 2.  Mr Grade resigned as BBC chairman in 2006 before moving to ITV.

John Beyer, of pressure group mediawatch-uk, welcomed Mr Grade's comments and said "the acid test is going to be how well ITV perform in this regard in the future.  The onus now is on other broadcasters to follow this lead to do rather more to cut out what Mr Grade describes as 'indiscriminate swearing' which offends so many people," he told BBC News. 

"We hear swearing and bad language so frequently on television - much less on radio - that I think television has normalised bad language and so it does seem unexceptional now.  An awful lot of people do find it offensive."
BBC News online 4/11/2008
Read more...

Michael Grade: Stop Indiscriminate TV Swearing
The ITV executive chairman, Michael Grade, has called for a clampdown on swearing after the 9pm watershed, saying the use of offensive words was now "indiscriminate".  Grade's call follows the Sachsgate row. 

"I do think the prevalence of bad language such as the F-word is a little bit unrestrained," Grade told a Broadcasting Press Guild lunch today.  "I am not calling for it to be banned but I don't think we take enough care over the use of the F-word and similar words," he said. 

"It used to be that you had to get very senior sign-off to use that word in any show. I am not sure what the rules are these days. Clearly not enough consideration is given to a very large section of the audience who don't want to hear that word or such words.  You have to know where you are using it and give it some extra consideration. It seems to be indiscriminate now."
MediaGuardian 3/11/2008
Read more...

Swearing on Television is Out of Control
Campaigners have claimed that swearing on television is "out of control" after a Sunday Telegraph investigation found widespread use of expletives in programmes broadcast just after the watershed. 

The findings brought calls to curb the use of bad language on air and allegations that broadcasters are ignoring public opinion.  In the investigation, 25 programmes shown on the five terrestrial television channels between October 17 and October 23 were monitored for their use of swear words. All started between 9pm, the official watershed, and 10.35pm. 

In some cases, swearing began only minutes after the watershed, when young children could still have been watching. In all, f*** and its derivatives was used 88 times, s*** 26 times and p*** 13 times.  Among the worst offenders was last week's episode of Jamie's Ministry of Food, the Channel 4 series following attempts by the chef Jamie Oliver to encourage the people of Rotherham to cook healthy food.

The programme, which aired at 9pm on Tuesday, featured the f-word 23 times.  Another programme with a high expletive count was BBC 1's Traffic Cops, broadcast on Monday at 9pm, where the f-word and its derivatives were used 20 times. One scene showed a drunken man who had been arrested for fighting swear repeatedly at a police officer. On Natural Born Sellers, ITV's answer to The Apprentice, broadcast on Thursday at 9pm, the f-word was used 19 times. 

Campaigners say that with the widespread use of recording equipment and of online television viewing, the concept of the watershed is being brought into question.  While BBC programmes are subject to the watershed restriction when they are shown on terrestrial television, they can be accessed 24 hours a day on the BBC's iPlayer service, where children are able to bypass age restrictions by simply ticking a box to say there are over 16. 

John Beyer, the director of mediawatch-uk, the pressure group, described the findings as "appalling". "The use of bad language on television is now completely out of control," he said. "The fact is the public is offended by bad language but broadcasters are doing nothing to respond to that concern - instead they are burying their heads in the sand and stretching the regulations to the very limit. 

Obviously there are still plenty of young viewers tuning in after 9pm, so why do broadcasters think that so many obscenities after the watershed is OK? What is the point of the Government spending millions trying to improve our children's language and literacy when broadcasters are seeking to undermine it?" 

Mr Beyer called for the media regulator, Ofcom, to be given greater powers in overseeing the way online programmes are aired. "It is very worrying that children are increasingly gaining easy access to adult programmes online," he said. "The solution is for Ofcom to have regulatory oversight over internet downloads, as well as on air programmes."

A spokesman for Ofcom, said: "Swearing is not banned after the 9pm watershed. However, when investigating complaints received about programmes broadcast after the watershed, we do take into consideration audience expectations of a programme, the size and composition of the audience, and whether children are likely to be watching."
Sunday Telegraph 26/10/2008   
Read more...    Empty out the swear box   The Daily Grunt

Swearing Has Become So Prevalent, Whole Media Careers are Built Upon It
It is five minutes to nine in the evening. On the nation's television screens, people are generally behaving themselves, minding their language. The clock ticks onwards. And then, bang on the dot of nine o'clock, something bizarre happens: the air turns blue.  For the last 40 years, an invisible fence has been strung across the television schedules.

On one side of it - pre-nine o'clock - there was comparatively little violence and no swearing. Post-nine o'clock, the rules were relaxed and you might hear the odd f-word here and there. That, at least, was the way things used to be.

But not any more. Now the striking of nine o'clock is the cue for chefs, comedians, chat-show hosts and members of the public to start f---ing away with lavish abandon. At this rate, weather forecasters will soon be telling people, "You better wrap up. It's going to be f------- parky tonight."  But viewers, it seems, have finally had enough. Following a recent episode of Jamie's Ministry of Food - which starts transmission at 9pm, and which the TV chef came out with 24 "f---s" or "f------s" in 50 minutes - Oliver's website was flooded with complaints.

What is clear from reading their comments is that these people are not unusually prudish, or possessed of exquisitely refined sensibilities. They are simply fed up. Most of them don't even find swearing offensive; they just don't like it coming out of their television screens like bullets out of a Gatling gun. And they particularly object to it doing so at a time when plenty of children are still watching.

However, there is a much bigger problem with swearing on television. At the risk of sounding like a maiden aunt whose boiled sweet has gone down the wrong way, it sets a bad example. And people follow that example - they follow it in droves. Hearing schoolchildren swear a lot, for instance, is neither charming, or funny. It's ugly, depressing and - whisper it quietly - offensive. Yet increasingly people are being tacitly taught that it's both trendy and sociably acceptable to swear.
Sunday Telegraph 26/10/2008
Read more...

Can Someone Tell Me What's So Funny About the F-word?
by Ray Connelly
"An entertainer on popular television who speaks like a lout on a bus or a football pitch is exhibiting not just a dearth of good material as he goes for the coarse laugh, he's broadcasting his boorish bad manners. 

Transmitting four-letter words in a show of general evening entertainment without a care as to who might hear them is an assault on all those who don't want to hear them, or wish their children not to hear them."
Daily Mail 21/10/2008
Read article    The Daily Grunt

THE MAIN FINDINGS OF A 'TASTE AND DECENCY' SURVEY CONDUCTED BY
Radio Times ARE THAT:
- 69% think there is too much swearing on TV
Radio Times 24 - 30 May 2008
Read more...    

Stop Swearing Jamie, You're Not Gordon @!&$? Ramsay...
Jamie Oliver has received a barrage of complaints from television viewers offended by his repeated use of foul language in his latest programme.  The chef's website has been flooded with messages accusing him of using gratuitous obscenities throughout Jamie's Ministry Of Food. 

Some suggest he is trying to usurp Gordon Ramsay as TV's most foul-mouthed chef.  Last week's episode of Oliver's Channel 4 programme, which follows his attempts to encourage the people of Rotherham in South Yorkshire to cook healthy food, was littered with swearing.

In one five-minute segment he used the word ‘f***ing' six times.  Last night, critics questioned why Channel 4 did not cut some of the obscenities out of the final edit of the show, which is broadcast at 9pm.

John Beyer of mediawatch-uk said: ‘The issue of bad language is something people are very sensitive to. Research suggests that the majority of people find the repeated use of obscenities extremely offensive.  For Channel 4 - a public broadcaster - to continue to broadcast a programme in which Oliver continually uses obscene language in the face of so much offence being caused to the public is extraordinary.'
Mail on Sunday 19/10/2008
Read more...

C4 to Clean Up Jamie Oliver
Channel 4 is planning to offer a "child friendly" version of Jamie's Ministry of Food for its on-demand service after complaints about swearing.  Commissioning editor Dominique Walker is considering making the programme available with the swear words bleeped out on 4oD. 

Viewers' editor Paula Carter said the move was prompted by viewers who said they were disappointed by Jamie Oliver's swearing in the show, which they said got in the way of the educational value of his mission to raise standards of cooking across the UK.
Broadcastnow 14/10/2008

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