Storm Night
Storm, 9 December 2011, 23:30
Storm is a free to air babe channel (Sky channel number 966). The licence for the service is held by Chat Central.
A complainant alerted Ofcom to the broadcast of inappropriate content during Storm Night on 9 December 2011.
The female presenter was wearing: a grey pleated skirt, pulled up over her stomach and under her bare breasts; a striped tie draped over her shoulders; a novelty necklace; and white trainers and socks. The presenter was not wearing any underwear.
During the broadcast she lay back on a desk, facing the camera with her legs tightly closed. At various points during the broadcast she changed position and covered her genital area with either a flat or cupped hand.
Approximately 20 minutes into the broadcast she opened her legs to camera and placed a cupped hand over her genitals, clearly applying pressure against her genital area.
She also poured white lotion onto her breasts, which remained there for the duration of the broadcast.
Ofcom considered rule 4.2 of the BCAP Code:
Advertisements must not cause serious or widespread offence against generally accepted moral, social or cultural standards.
Ofcom has previously published rules on what Ofcom considers to be acceptable to broadcast on these services post-watershed.
adult chat broadcasters should 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; and
- at no time broadcast shots of presenters using liquids of a sort in a way which suggests the liquid is ejaculate.
Ofcom Decision Breach of rule 4.2
In Ofcom’s view the images highlighted above were strong and clearly capable of causing offence. We noted that the broadcast included material that is clearly inconsistent with Ofcom’s guidance. For example: the presenter was clearly applying pressure against her genital area with her hand and used body lotion in a way that suggested it was ejaculate.
Ofcom noted that in conjunction with those images the presenter performed various other actions including: stroking her body; shaking her breasts to camera; and miming fellatio. Her position on screen (reclining on the desk facing the camera) also resulted in her genital area becoming the focal point of the shot, despite the fact there were no actual images of her genitals, intrusive or otherwise. Ofcom considered the material included images that are not permitted in „adult chat advertising content that is available without mandatory restricted access.
Ofcom considered that because the presenter was not wearing any underwear, the chances of the material contravening the relevant rules and guidance was significantly increased because she had to ensure her genital area was adequately covered by her hand each time she changed position.
Ofcom does not prohibit nudity in adult sex chat services. However, as set out in Ofcom’s guidance, images of presenters touching their genital or anal areas either with their hand or an object are prohibited within the context of „adult chat advertising content that is freely available without mandatory restricted access. In light of this we would caution against the use of naked presenters when broadcasting this content.
Ofcom found this material in breach of Rule 4.2 of the BCAP Code.
