Brit Asia TV rapped by Ofcom for music awards bug

Brit Asia TV has been rapped by Ofcom for an on-screen bug that appeared in February to promote the Brit Asia TV World Music Awards 2017.

Ofcom received a complaint about a graphic that appeared in the top corner of the screen throughout three programmes. It referred to an event run by Brit Asia, the “BritAsia TV World Music Awards 2017”, and to the date of that event, “4th March 2017”.

In response to the breach, Brit Asia TV said it was confident that the content was compliant and in line with guidance from Ofcom. The Licensee stated: “The awards ceremony is our own event which relates to the music content we showcase. The graphic was only on screen during music programming which relates to the awards ceremony”. It added: “The graphic was not promoting any sales activity of any kind or any other commercial activity”.

Brit Asia told Ofcom that, as had been the case in previous years, coverage of the event was not broadcast live but transmitted at a later date.

Ofcom did not consider that there was sufficient editorial justification for the inclusion of the graphic referring to the event, especially given the fact that it remained on-screen throughout the programmes.

It added, “The graphic referred to the live event, rather than to the programme coverage of that event. Brit Asia argued that the graphic was editorially justified because it appeared only during music programming which was related to the event. We did not accept that this met the Code’s definition of programme-related material2 which stipulates that such material must be directly derived from a specific programme. The graphic was referring to a self standing event which was not directly derived from the music programming in which it appeared.”

It concluded, “Ofcom’s published guidance makes clear that similarity, in terms of genre or theme(s), between a programme and a product or service is not in itself sufficient to establish that the product or service is directly derived from the programme.”

Brit Asia TV was found in breach of Rule 9.5.