Two GCap stations get Ofcom rap

GCap radio stations GWR 96.3 FM and Mercia FM have breached Ofcom's Broadcasting Code.

A promotion for GWR broke rules on standards and broadcasting offensive language with a trailer aired during The Bush And Troy Show in March.

Swearwords were bleeped but not sufficiently, leaving it "absolutely clear that the most offensive language could still be heard", said Ofcom. The trailer said: "Easter bunny here. If you laugh at my big teeth again, I’ll knock yours out. Happy f***ing Easter, you fat motherf***er."

GCap apologised, accepting the trailer was not suitable for broadcast at any time, and said the presenters had believed bleeping out part of the words would be sufficient.

Mercia FM, which broadcasts to Coventry and Warwickshire, was found to have breached rules on the promotion of products and services and giving products undue prominence with a segment about a garage.

One of Mercia's "Thunder Co-Ordinators", who travel around the region promoting the station and reporting back, told listeners: "I'm going to get myself over to Coventry’s new Sytner Car Garage on Holyhead Road, between now and Sunday, and pick myself up a brand new BMW M3 saloon... it's very sparkly. They’re unveiling this new M3. Get yourself down there before Sunday and have a look at all the new nice shiny cars they’re showing off."

GCap blamed "an overly zealous Thunder Co-ordinator who was relatively new and naively thought he was being creative in how he set up the audio link". The radio group, soon to become part of Global Radio, said it had now explained the regulations to the reporters. It said an advertiser had not influenced content and the reference was not deliberate.