Radio Station's Expletive Loop Cleared by Regulator

A community radio station, Horizon Radio, has been cleared by the UK's broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, following an incident where offensive language was broadcast for approximately 26 minutes. The offensive content was aired on October 9 to listeners in Milton Keynes, stemming from a "hijacked" web stream provided by a third party, reportedly due to a contractual dispute.

Ofcom acknowledged that children were particularly likely to be listening during the evening broadcast. However, the regulator concluded that Horizon Radio acted swiftly to regain control, attempting multiple times to stop the incorrect stream and subsequently broadcasting an apology. The station also informed Ofcom of the situation and provided evidence of their efforts.

In its ruling, Ofcom stated that Horizon Radio did "everything in its control to minimise the impact of this incident." Following the event, the station has implemented stricter technical management, now maintaining all streaming output internally and discontinuing the use of third-party stream providers to prevent future occurrences.