BBC reprimanded over Live Earth swearing

The BBC has been ordered to broadcast a statement admitting it failed its viewers, after Ofcom delivered a damning verdict of its Live Earth coverage.

The media watchdog criticised the corporation’s “serious and repeated” breaches of broadcasting regulations after it screened Madonna, Chris Rock, Phil Collins and Razorlight singer Johnny Borrell swearing at the July 7, 2007 environmental awareness event.

The word “fuck” was used on six different occasions, with Madonna shouting to the audience assembled at London’s Wembley Stadium: "Come on, motherfuckers! Jump!" Offensive language was screened on BBC One and BBC Two before the watershed, prompting 22 viewers to complain.

Publishing its findings today, Ofcom made the rare move of ordering the corporation to broadcast a statement of its findings on both BBC One and BBC Two at a time specified by the regulator. Ofcom was scathing of the BBC, stating that the corporation had been warned after stars swore during the similar Live8 fund-raising event in 2005, but had “failed to deploy effective and appropriate procedures to prevent the broadcast of the most offensive language”. The regulator noted that the BBC breached language rules on a Saturday afternoon when children were likely to be in the audience.

In its defence, the BBC argued that it had briefed artists whom it regarded as “potentially problematic” in an attempt to avoid broadcasting inappropriate material. The corporation also said it couldn't use a time delay as the event was billed as live, and that it had issued on-air apologies following some of the breaches.

Ofcom pointed out a short time delay could have been employed and that some of the BBC’s apologies for bad language came only after considerable delays. Last year, the BBC was fined £50,000 after children’s programme Blue Peter was found to have faked competition results.