Milton Keynes radio station rapped by Ofcom for over 'n' word in gaffe

Secklow Sounds radio station has received a rap on the knuckles from Ofcom for playing an unedited song by Pharrell Williams that contained offensive words.
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The Milton Keynes-based community service played 'Can I have it Like That' twice – once on July 19 2019 at 14:56 and again on July 24 at 11:56.

The lyrics included the words “bi*ch” and “sh*t” and four uses of the word “ni**er”.

The station has acknowledged this type of language is not acceptable to its listeners and said it would continue to “purge the library to eradicate such songs”.

Pharrell WilliamsPharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams

It is understood the show in which the song was played has now been terminated.

A single complaint was received about the incident, and this was investigated by Ofcom.

Ofcom said both of the broadcasts took place when children would have been on school summer holidays, and therefore likely to be listening.

They found the station had breached Rules 1.16 and 2.3 of the broadcasting code.

Rule 1.16 states that offensive language must not be broadcast when children are likely to be listening to the radio unless it is justified by the context. Rule 2.3 requires the broadcast of potentially offensive material to be “justified by the context."

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