Complaint
Two listeners complained that, during a phone-in discussion on the wearing of the turban, a caller made an obscene remark in Punjabi about the mother of the Indian Prime Minister, and that the presenter, instead of challenging him, thanked him for his contribution.Β The ECU considered the complaints in the light of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ’s guidelines on material likely to cause offence to audiences, which require that any potential offence be justified by the context.
Outcome
There was no contextual justification for the obscene remark, and consequently its broadcast breached the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ’s editorial standards.Β The ECU noted, however, that the presenter was not a Punjabi-speaker, and did not know the meaning of the remark at the time (though she immediately drew the call to a close for precautionary reasons, with conventional words of thanks to the caller).Β Having been informed of its meaning, she apologised to the audience about 20 minutes after the incident and again after a similar interval, and the recording of the item on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sounds was taken down that afternoon before being reinstated the following day with the offensive material removed.Β In the judgement of the ECU, these actions sufficed to resolve the issue of complaint.
Resolved