Glastonbury Festival radio breached rules with Little Simz song

Ofcom has ruled the on-site radio station for Glastonbury Festival breached rules for playing a song which contained racially offensive language.

The regulator decided Worthy 87.7 FM breached standards for playing an unedited version of Miss Understood by rap artist Little Simz.

The track was played on 23 June this year at 18.41 BST.

The station apologised for the error but not immediately after the song was played, as presenters missed it.

The song contained two words, one of which was deemed to be "racially offensive" and another deemed to be "the most offensive" language.

The lack of on-air apology was deemed a "heightened" factor in Ofcom's ruling - issued on 19 December - that the words would cause offence.

It judged the song used "offensive language, including the most offensive language" and was "broadcast at a time when children were particularly likely to be listening and when listeners of all ages would not expect to hear it".

Ofcom also ruled the use of "racially offensive language was not justified by the context" and was therefore in breach.

Ofcom said rules 1.14, 1.6 and 2.3 were breached.

The licensee, Joanne Schofield, apologised during Ofcom's investigation and accepted "a mistake was made in playing" the song.

The station only plays music from artists who are appearing or have appeared at the festival.

The mistake occurred when presenters wanted to promote Little Simz headline slot and searched the radio's computer, not realising it searched all tracks - not just safe-for-radio ones.

The song had not been in the playout library and was in a "non-compliant electronic folder of tracks containing bad language".

But presenters believed they were searching Worthy FM's music folder and not the whole computer, so thought the track was safe to play.

The radio team were then busy greeting the next guests, and did not realise the song contained bad language, therefore missing the opportunity to "fade it down immediately and apologise on air", Ofcom said.

Worthy FM's licensee told Ofcom changes would be made, including the strengthening of compliance controls in light of the incident, the computer only containing safe songs and the studio being treated as a closed set to minimise presenter distraction.

They added the broadcast desk will not have access to the internet to ensure only broadcasting content is played, and only authorised people can add content to the computer with daily reminders of controls given to crews.

Ofcom acknowledged the song was played in error and the radio station has taken steps to ensure the mistake is not repeated.

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