Howard Stern, call your office: Two British radio stations have been fined heavily for broadcasting offensive material involving porn, bestiality, and rape - one of which was said to involve a bestial porn video.
London rock and Roll station XFM, owned by Capital Radio, was fined for two versions of its breakfast program which included discussions about bestiality and "ill judged" references to porn, says Reuters. South Yorkshire's Hallam FM was fined over late-night phone-ins involving a gratuitous description of pedophilia and the condoning and encouraging of rape, the Radio Authority tells Reuters.
In fact, the Radio Authority has warned Capital Radio that any further similar breaches by XFM would put the station's license in jeopardy, the wire service says.
``These broadcasts heedlessly ignored the requirement that the portrayal or description of bestiality must not be broadcast,'' Radio Authority chairman Peter Gibbins tells Reuters about the XFM shows. ``Language and sexual references made throughout both programs also breached the Authority's program code.''
The first show included a call-in segment about "the worst job in the world," which led to the host getting into a conversation about a porn video involving a woman and a pig. The second show, Reuters says, involved talking about sexual matters and using foul language.
Hallam FM was hit over what the Radio Authority calls "irresponsible" treatment of "such serious topics as" child abuse, rape, and violence against women.
The stations were fined around $US60,000 each - the maximum they can receive under the 1990 British Broadcasting Act.
