Radio station apologises

The competition on Heart 106 in the East Midlands was accused of being ‘offensive and racist’ by one listener, who complained to station bosses and to the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom.

The contest ran on the station’s breakfast show, hosted by Sam Pinkham and Amy Voce, in March. It was called Luck Of The Irish, and the prize was to win tickets to see Riverdance.

In the course of the item, the presenters also mimicked an Irish accent and told jokes which relied on the stereotype of the ‘thick’ Irishman.

After receiving a direct complaint, the station ‘agreed that the jokes were ill-judged and the presenters were told that the manner in which the feature was handled was unacceptable’.

It also broadcast an apology, saying: ‘Last week on the show, during a competition based around Irish culture, we aired some jokes that were offensive towards Irish people. It was never our intention to offend, and we wish to sincerely apologise for any offence caused.’

Because of these steps, Ofcom said the matter had been resolved.

In a ruling published today, the watchdogs said: ‘Ofcom welcomed the acknowledgement by the station that this item had been misjudged.

‘While the banter surrounding this competition item was clearly intended to be good-natured, it nevertheless should have been recognised that such humour had the potential to cause genuine offence.’

Published: 18 Jun 2007