Bristol radio station censured by Ofcom over ‘hostile’ homophobic comments
A Bristol radio station has been forced to apologise after a presenter called homosexuality a “pestilence” and claimed that “right thinking” people thought it was unnatural.
The segment was broadcast in March on Ujima Radio, a community station serving Bristol’s black community.
In its daily news programme, the Noon Show, the unnamed presenter discussed a newspaper article called ‘The secret life of a male prostitute’.
The presenter added: “Goodness knows what I would do if my sons turned round and told me they [are gay], I know what I would do but I won’t tell you on-air.”
After a listener complained, the radio station admitted that the comments were not suitable for broadcast and aired an apology the following week. It also terminated the voluntary presenter’s contract.
The Ofcom ruling found the programme in breach of the broadcasting code.
It said: “In Ofcom’s opinion such comments would reasonably have been perceived as hostile and pejorative towards the gay community and had the potential to cause considerable offence.
“Ofcom considered that the the broadcast of this offensive material was not justified by the context. Therefore, the material went beyond generally accepted standards for this type of programme and breached [the broadcasting] code.”
