This document discusses legal and ethical issues in the UK radio industry. It provides examples of incidents where radio presenters have crossed ethical lines, such as a prank call to a hospital that led to a nurse's suicide. It outlines the codes and policies broadcasters must follow to avoid harming audiences. These policies cover offensive language, privacy, and more. The document also discusses an instance where a BBC radio presenter was suspended for comments deemed unethical regarding breastfeeding in public. Emerging social concerns discussed include health care, wars, and child labor.

1. PR9
By Shakeel Uddin

2. Legal and ethical issues in the UK radio
industry
• In the radio industry many rules are set out in order to lessen the chance of illegal
or ethical issues being committed. These rules are set out by Ofcom which radio
stations have to follow very closely, however sometimes radio presenters take a
joke too far. An incident occurred within the radio network, when two Australian
DJ's rang up a hospital pretending to be prince Phillip and asking how Kate
Middleton’s baby was. The women who answered the phone began to give the
DJ's the information about Kate not realising that the phone conversation was
being broadcasted on air to thousands of people. The lady did not know this was a
prank and therefore when she found out that she had breached about Kate
Middleton to random people, ended it by committing suicide. Now this was a
massive story and people believed she felt really guilty so this was a big ethical
issue. That are many more different ethic issues that can happen broadcasting a
big one is personal believes like religion or just have a strong believe that the
person should act or behave in a certain way that he thinks is suitable to him.
There are others like talking about big companies and big people, morality and just
hurting people feelings in general.

3. Ethical policies and Legal procedures
related to radio
• Ofcom have a guidance code and have policies for each section of broadcasting.
These policies and legal procedures include Harm and offense, offensive language,
religion, fairness, protecting under eighteens, privacy and more. They have a
broadcasting code and have High standards to each section such as offensive
language on radio, they provide guidance notes to assist radio broadcasters in
their compliance with Ofcom Broadcasting Code rules relating to offensive
language on radio, in particular in relation to:
• lyrics in music tracks
• live music performances/interviews/studio conversation
• Speech and comedy content.

4. Ethical issues that radio producers
have to take into account
• Radio producers have to take everything into account and to make sure that they
are not offending any if their audience. You can always joke around depending on
where you’re broadcasting to but even then they can’t take a joke too far that’s
exactly what Russel brand and Jonathan ross did on a radio show. A radio producer
is not a presenter but still has the same responsibly as one as they create content
and managing the whole radio production process for both live and recorded
programmes. So when they’re generating original ideas they have to take into
account ethical issues like religion or privacy.

5. Issues around Alex Dykes comments
• BBC Radio Solent presenter Alex Dyke made comments which led to him being
taken off the air
• Alex Dykes broke broadcast regulations by Ofcom for the comments he made on
his radio station. He said breastfeeding in public was “unnatural” and “must be
stopped” after complaints from listeners and the launch of a petition calling for
him to be sacked. He later apologized for what he said but not in an appropriate
manner and was still suspended.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmK-
vlqm3-8

6. Why were they deemed to be ethically
unsound?
• The comments he said about breastfeeding must best stopped did offend many
people even people who don’t even do it felt that he was being hurtful towards
people that do and complained about it to the BBC. It was an ethical issue as it
hurt people decisions on how to lead their own lives.

7. Ofcom Broadcasting Code
• I think Alex dykes comments fall into a few sections in the Ofcom broadcasting
code, but the main one I think it relates to is the offensive language section. It
specifically says rules relating to offensive language on radio, in particular in
relation to speech and comedy content. Which is what Alex did when he provide
with his opinion in discussion manner like a speech with a bit of comedic
comments like “yummy mummies”. So therefore this is a violation to the code of
broadcasting by Ofcom forcing the BBC suspending Alex dykes.
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/bro
adcasting/guidance/programme-
guidance/bguidance/n

8. Would you class the issue around Dyke’s comments as an emerging social
concerns and expectation? What other emerging social concerns and
expectations are there?
• I don’t think dykes comments is a big social concern as there are others that are
much more important than this. In his opinion he feels that this is and social
concern which offended a lot of people as no one was hurting anyone by doing
this. He offended people socially on air and about what they do in public. There
other types of emerging social concerns, the media talks a lot about health care
and wars. Its is when an individual or group is worried about a certain aspect of
society. For example, parents may have social concern that violence in the media
might influence their children. Such as video games, movies TV shows and etc.
Another social concern is child labour that has been happening in other countries
that are not more fortuned like the UK or America. People have worries about
people futures living in these types of environments. There are other like
alcoholism, airport security, chemical weapons, health care, unemployment's and
the list goes on.