Kids radio show breaches Ofcom rules for accidentally airing the word ‘f***ed’ twice

The f-bomb is probably the last thing you’d expect to hear on a Saturday morning kids radio show, yet when the Northampton-based community radio station Inspiration FM decided to play one particular song during an episode of the IFM Kids’ Show back in January – listeners heard exactly that.

Now the broadcasting regulator Ofcom has given them a firm telling off.

The 14 January edition of the show – which was helmed by children aged 10, 12, 14 and 16 – aired between 10am and 11am, with the offending music being played at 10:48am.

Sampling the 2012 hit 'Let Her Go' by Passenger, rapper Central Cee’s 2022 track 'Let Go' includes the line “you said that p***y mine so why’d you let it go” in its opening chorus, but it was actually lyrics in its first verse which landed the station in trouble.

At this point in the song, the London-born musician – real name Oakley Ceaser-Su – raps: “The last time that we f***ed was f***ed / the way you got up, got dressed and cut.”

Immediately after the f-bomb was aired, the song was cut off and one young presenter said they were “really sorry it had swearing in it”.

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Another presenter from the group of four commented that the song “doesn’t have an E” icon on it, which would have denoted the track having explicit lyrics.

In a response issued to Ofcom, Inspiration FM said the teenage presenter “accidentally played the wrong version of the song as it was labelled clean in the playlist” and that they “quickly said sorry and tried to apologise and move on”.

It added “Let Go” was “not appropriate” as a song to broadcast and that following the incident they had introduced “strict restrictions on the show with every song and playlist prepared [a] week in advance and listened and checked by a member [of the] Inspiration FM management team”.

The station also confirmed one young presenter had decided to “leave the show for a while” after being left upset by their involvement in the incident.

However, with the watchdog’s rules prohibiting the broadcasting of “the most offensive language” when “children are particularly likely to be listening”; requiring material which “may cause offence” to be “justified by the context”; and stating “due care” must be taken regarding the “welfare and the dignity” of those under 18, Inspiration FM was found in breach in three areas.

Ofcom’s ruling reads: “The most offensive language was broadcast at a time when children were particularly likely to be listening and was not justified by the context, in breach of Rules 1.14 and 2.3 of the Broadcasting Code.

“The broadcaster failed to take due care over the emotional welfare and dignity of people under 18 taking part in the programme, in breach of Rule 1.28 of the Broadcasting Code."

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