Ofcom fine Kiss FM

Madison · Jun 21, 2006

Fairness and Privacy Complaint (see full adjudication at Annex 2) said:

The programme telephoned a member of public (the complainant, “Mr R” who wishes to remain anonymous) who had inadvertently left his telephone number
the presenter’s (“Streetboy”) voice mail, believing it to be his Human Resources officer’s voice mail. Streetboy then returned Mr R’s call posing as the Human Resources officer. Mr R had called his Human Resources officer in the hope of discussing redeployment opportunities in the company following his redundancy.
telephone call was recorded and broadcast on air without the complainant’s permission (a breach of Ofcom’s (ex-Radio Authority) Programme Code).

Streetboy, posing as the Human resources officer, told Mr R that “it doesn’t seem like you have the qualifications…I mean you are really not what we are looking for”. Streetboy then went on to exclaim “you thought you had a chance!” and then continued with “could you not bother calling me again, ‘cos you’re wasting my time to be quite frank”. Mr R, clearly upset, continually apologised to Streetboy. Streetboy then pushed further and asked Mr R if “you honestly thought you was in with a chance?”. Streetboy then decided to ask him “you tell me why you should have the job..sell yourself to me”. As Mr R ran though his experience, Streetboy replied “I don’t like show offs”. Mr R stated he was “slightly taken aback” and apologised again saying “Sorry Sir…right….ok…apologies for wasting your time”. As it was becoming increasingly apparent that Mr R was distressed, Streetboy told Mr R “to go and flip burgers or something” and also that he should go back into training and that he was “only being honest”. When Mr R asked “where he fell down on his application”, Streetboy said “if you don’t know mate, you should be able to see these things for yourself”. At the end of the conversation Mr R again apologised saying “I’m sorry I’ve upset you in anyway..oh dear..oh dear…sorry to have offended you”.

When the item ended, the presenters were heard laughing and acknowledging that Streetboy was “dealing with this guy’s whole future and career…oh my God”. There then followed some small applause.
Emap Radio told the Committee that it agreed that this was a “horrible intrusion into someone’s privacy and degrading someone in public…it was also extremely bad for the radio station”. Emap Radio described the decision to broadcast the item (which was pre-recorded) as “inexplicable” because even the presenter had acknowledged after the programme that it had gone too far.
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This cost them £175,000.

Good.

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Ofcom fine Kiss FM

Madison Everything goes up by six

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