Programmes: Red Light, Bang Babes, Xplicit, 100% Horny
Channels: Red Light 1, 2, 3 (Sky channels 911,902,948)
Times: 21:00 – 22:00 and after 22:00
Red Light, Bang Babes, Red Light 2, Xplicit, Red light 3, and 100% Horny are segments of televised interactive adult sex chat advertisement babe channels broadcast on the services Red Light 1, Red Light 2 and Red Light 3.
These three services are available freely without mandatory restricted access on Sky channel numbers 911, 902 and 948 respectively. These services are in the adult section of the Sky Electronic Programme Guide (Sky EPG). Viewers are invited to contact onscreen female presenters via premium rate telephony services (PRS). The female presenters dress and behave in a sexually provocative way while encouraging viewers to contact the PRS numbers.
The licence for Red Light 1 is owned and operated by Just4Us; and the licences for Red Light 2 and Red Light 3 are owned and operated by Playboy TV. Just4Us is a wholly owned subsidiary of Playboy TV.
Ofcom received a complaint about the content listed above. In summary the complainant considered the material was becoming more and more sexually explicit and is clearly way beyond what could be deemed acceptable.
An example from Red Light 1 of clearly way beyond what could be deemed acceptable:
The naked female presenter was shown spitting onto her breasts, wiping saliva onto her buttocks and letting saliva drip onto her genital area. The broadcast also Ofcom Broadcast Bulletin, Issue 185 4 July 2011 12 included images of the presenter: rubbing oil all over her body, particularly onto her breasts; pouring oil onto her buttocks; adopting sexual positions, such as on her back with her legs wide open to camera; mimicking sexual intercourse; mimicking oral sex on a man using her fingers; and gyrating her hips whilst applying pressure with her cupped hand to cover her genital area. During the broadcast the presenter was also shown using the telephone to cover her genital area.
Ofcom considered:
- BCAP advertising Code Rule 4.2 states: Advertisements must not cause serious or widespread offence against generally accepted moral, social or cultural standards.
- BCAP advertising Code Rule 32.3 states: Relevant timing restrictions must be applied to advertisements that, through their content, might harm or distress children of particular ages or that are otherwise unsuitable for them.
Playboy TV explained that although most of these programmes were examined under Rule 4.2 of the BCAP Code, there is no evidence to suggest that serious or widespread offence was caused by any of these broadcasts, in fact quite the opposite. Ofcom monitoring or a solitary public or competitor complaint were the sole instigators of these enquiries.
It added However, we recognise there are always areas for improvement and there are a few which have been identified here, specifically the labial detail, which we had previously construed to mean rather more detail than we were permitting. However, as mentioned above, a change of underwear type will prevent this reoccurring, and also lead to a reduction of an intrusive feel to shots. The incidents of saliva dripping and spitting are limited, but will be eradicated from future broadcasts.
Ofcom re-iterated some of their censorship rules:
- at no time broadcast invasive shots of presenters’ bodies. Ofcom cautions against physically intrusive, intimate shots of any duration; and against less intrusive shots that may become unacceptable by virtue of their being prolonged;
- at no time broadcast anal, labial or genital areas or broadcast images of presenters touching their genital or anal areas either with their hand or an object;
- ensure that presenters’ clothing adequately covers their anal, labial or genital areas. They should also avoid adjusting their clothing (including clutching or bunching) which results in anal, labial or genital areas being exposed;
- at no time include shots of presenters spitting onto their or others’ bodies, or include shots of presenters using other liquids, such as oil and lotions, on their genital or anal areas.
- at no time broadcast shots of presenters using liquids of a sort or in a way which suggests the liquid is ejaculate
Ofcom Decision: Breach of rules 4.2 & 32.3
The examples highlighted above include images that are not permitted in adult chat broadcast advertisements that are freely available without mandatory restricted access. Ofcom noted that in conjunction with those images the presenters performed various other actions including: stroking their bodies; gyrating their hips; massaging oil into their breasts; and mimicking sexual intercourse. The combination of these images and action resulted in strong sexual material.
Given the content included prolonged and frequent scenes of a strong sexual nature, the location of the channel in the adult section of the EPG was not sufficient to ensure serious or widespread offence against generally accepted standards was not caused. This was regardless of the fact the content was shown between the hours of 22:00 and 01:00.Ofcom was also concerned at the degree of offence likely to be caused to viewers who might come across this material unawares. Taking into account the factors above, Ofcom has concluded that relevant scheduling restrictions were not applied so as to ensure that the material which was broadcast was not capable of causing serious or widespread offence against generally accepted moral, social or cultural standards. Specifically, this material should not have been broadcast within the context of adult chat advertisements that were freely available without mandatory restricted access.
Therefore Ofcom concluded that this material breached Rule 4.2 of the BCAP Code
Ofcom also concluded that the material shown between 9 and 10pm was not suitable for this hour and therefore breached Rule 32.3 of the BCAP Code.
In light of the serious and repeated Code breaches recorded in this finding, and other breach findings recently recorded against Playboy complied material, Playboy TV and Just4us Limited are put on notice that these present contraventions of the BCAP Code are being considered by Ofcom for statutory sanction.
