Watchdog says apology for Devlin's on-air tirade sufficient

Cartoon / Rod Emmerson

The Broadcasting Standards Authority has chosen not to uphold a complaint about a tirade of swear words on RadioLive.

The BSA had sent out a list of the 30 worst words a survey had shown the public did not want to hear on radio and television.

Radio presenter Martin Devlin read out the list, with a buzzer masking the words. However, the buzzer was sometimes mis-timed.

Listeners heard a selection of the words including a***hole, motherf*****r, wanker and Jesus f*****g Christ.

The expletive-laden broadcast happened during an interview on the Devlin on Sport show on March 28.

The person being interviewed said the word "bulls***".

Devlin responded that the word he had just said was among those on the BSA list, released that day.

"The survey reveals changing attitudes towards swear words in broadcasting and the word that you just said is one on the list of 30 words that you are not allowed to say on air," Devlin said.

"And these are those words ..."

As he read the list, a buzzer went off each time a new word was read, to prevent listeners from hearing them.

However, some words were clearly audible, and the authority later ruled that it was clear that the buzzer was designed not to go off at the same time as the word was said.

A listener, Andrew McMillan, complained to Devlin's employer, RadioWorks, that the programme had breached the standards of good taste and decency.

As a result, the company spoke to Devlin and other staff and formally apologised to Mr McMillan.

Mr McMillan then lodged a formal complaint with the authority.

But it has decided not to uphold it.

Its decision reads: "We consider that the action taken by RadioWorks after upholding the complaint was sufficient."