B4U Music in trouble with Ofcom for offensive music video
B4U Music has been found in breach of Ofcom rules and regulations for broadcasting an offensive music video.
Ofcom received a complaint about offensive language in a music video in the programme. The music track Lyrical Vibe by MC Gavry, broadcast on 28th July 2021 at 17:47, contained six instances of the word “fuck” or derivatives, including: “all of these fuckers just want to be me”; “fuck them, fuck them I’m always ice cold”; “like a gladiator or a fucking machine”; “I’m fucking persistent”; and “fuck it then”.
As the artist was promoted on the programme as ‘artist of the month’ Ofcom requested a schedule from B4U Network of all the times this video was broadcast on B4U Music in July and August 2021. The schedule showed that between 16 July and 14 August the video was broadcast a total of 139 times, and on 119 occasions before the watershed.
Additionally, while reviewing the recording Ofcom noticed the sponsorship credit for the programme by Pooja Sweets contained a call to action, “order online at www.poojasweets.com”. Ofcom also identified a programme trailer for Wealth of India shown between the programme included a sponsorship credit for Balloonbx with a call to action, “order happiness online www.balloonbx.com”.
B4U Network said it had reinstated its UK compliance team in September 2021 and “guarantee that mistakes of this nature will not be repeated again”.
In its concluding note, Ofcom is concerned that this music video was specifically selected by B4U Network for frequent airplay before the watershed as it presented MC Gavry as ‘artist of the month’. Further, it was a concern that, regardless of revised arrangements for programme compliance, the frequent uses of the most offensive language were not identified before the broadcasts.
Ofcom said it had previously found B4U Network in breach of Rule 9.22(a) for calls to action in sponsorship credits in October 2011 and July 20173 and has met with the Licensee to discuss its compliance with Section Nine of the Code. Ofcom expressed concerned that further compliance failures in this area have occurred.
