Swearing before the watershed

A TV channel has been rapped by watchdogs after Arthur Smith told a talent show hopeful to ‘fuck off’.

The aptly named Controversial TV aired the comedian’s comment at 7pm – two hours before the watershed for adult content – so earning the rebuke from Ofcom.

Smith’s comments came in an episode of The Pitch, in which fledgling entertainers ‘pitch’ an idea for a programme to a group of judges. The show was originally made for Loaded TV, the spin-off channel of the lad’s mag, but subsequently aired on Controversial.

The comic was a guest judge on the episode repeated on May 11, and his blunt dismissal of the competitor, unnamed by Ofcom, attracted the complaint.

Controversial TV apologised, saying: ‘It would appear that the edit team had not obscured the sound over the wording in question, thinking that the programming was going to go out after the watershed.’

It said that ‘in mitigation’ its demographic was the over-18s and unlikely to cause widespread offence – but Ofcom said the strongest swear words should never be aired before 9pm, and censured the channel.

Published: 15 Jul 2013