Community radio plays 'sexual moaning' song during busy school-run time slot

A community radio station played a song featuring sexual noises during a school-run time slot. Photo / Getty Images

A UK community radio station has breached watchdog rules after playing a song with "sexual moaning" in it during a busy school-run time slot.

Local Essex station Caroline Community Radio played the song French Kiss by Lil Louis at 8.20am.

The song is about nine minutes in length and features heavy breathing which many deem to be sexual in nature.

Originally the 1989 hit had no lyrics but was re-recorded with words to be more suitable for radio after interest from record labels.

The track played when many parents were driving their children to school.

Ofcom said that it was a "time when children were particularly likely to be listening to the radio" and that the song included "prolonged sounds of sexual moaning lasting two minutes and 20 seconds".

In the report, the station said their music library was being transferred between computer systems and that "some scheduling restrictions that it had applied to songs had not been carried across to the new system".

The station said the "did not wish to offend its listeners" and confirmed a review would take place.

In response to the report, they argued other songs such as Fleetwood Mac's Big Love and Donna Summer's Love to Love You Baby also feature heavy breathing.

The station admitted children might be curious or confused by the sounds heard on the radio.

Ofcom acknowledged the "likelihood of children listening was low" given the station's target audience.

Ofcom ultimately ruled that French Kiss was "not appropriately scheduled" and breached rule 1.3 of the Broadcasting Code, which says "children must … be protected by appropriate scheduling from material that is unsuitable for them".

French Kiss was a hit in 1989 and reached number two in the UK while peaking at number one on the US dance charts.