Funferal

Taste and decency on TG4 – the salicious O.C. strikes again

Interesting to read a story in Foinse about TG4 being slapped on the wrist by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC) because of airing ‘inappropriate’ programming at 6pm. The inappropriate show? The O.C., which TG4 have been airing as part of an early evening schedule aimed at teenagers.
Interestingly, I can’t remember dealing with – or at least upholding – complaints regarding decency during my tenure on the BCC – but (as I note below) this seems to be because taste and decency is a new addition under the 2001 Act. Most of the complaints we received dealt with the requirement for balanced and impartial coverage of news and current affairs, with some dealing with advertising standards. Although the BCI has recently started a consultation process which will lead to a code on programme standards (including research into what causes ‘harm and offence’ on TV and radio), that code isn’t due to become operational until this Autumn.
The full text of the BCC findings is available online and specifically claims that the broadcast infringed the taste and decency regulations.. Interestingly, the BCC’s guidelines for complainants notes that:

Taste & decency: Every independent broadcaster must ensure that it does not broadcast anything which may reasonably be regarded as offending good taste or decency. Law & Order Every broadcaster must ensure that it does not broadcast anything which may reasonably be regarded as likely to promote, or incite to, crime or as tending to undermine the authority of the State.

but also that the code regulating the understanding of taste and decency are:

Currently being drafted by the BCI. The details of the codes will be posted to this site when available.

So, the BCC may have beeen within their remit on this (the Taste and Decency section seems to be part of the additions in the 2001 Act) but there are as yet no guidelines, or binding codes, on what is considered tasteful or decent (or their inverses). Certainly a peculiar situation.