AOB 6- Regulation for Music Video

The Office of Communications mostly called Ofcom is the regulatory body for the postal, broadcasting and telecommunications companies within the United Kingdom. It has a duty to represent the citizens of the UK by providing protection from what could be considered to cause emotively, physical or mental harm and offence to anyone. When taking this into account Ofcom have to take into account the right the broadcaster has to impact information and ideas on an audience and that the audience have the right to view them without unnecessary interference. Ofcom have to deal with all sorts of complaints from music videos and television shows.

When it comes to music videos Ofcom has a guideline to follow rule 1.3 of a guild to insure the following; protect under eighteens and to maintain the watershed of 9 o'clock is maintained.

When the music video S&M was broadcasted on a pop/RandB music channel called WTF short for Weekly Top Forty at 11.25 of a Saturday morning. It get a lot of complaints about the sexual themes included in the lyrics and visuals so a investigation was done into whether it breached Rule 1.3. When taking this into account Ofcom have to take into account the right the broadcaster have to impact informations and ideas on an audience and that the audience have the right to view them without unnecessary interference. The investigate ended with saying that it did, like many other music videos, breach this rule and it would had to be shown after the watershed and that the video will be investigated farther.

With the fact that the video does contain lyrics and visuals which display s&m content that kids simply would not recognise as normal sexual behaviour, meaning that it may be inappoirate for kids to be made aware of it and may shock them too much. It is also the case that many adults find it inappropriate.

However many people would say that as the channel has no real child audience. The video is only really a over the top fantasy version of the fetish and no real fetish material is used.

It seems that maybe the parents with children viewing this channel or any other music video of this nature need to be more responsible for their own child. Also the fact that other music videos, T.V shows that have similar themes are viewed by children before the watershed.

So, I conclude this by saying that the right decision about it was made. It has inappropriate content that kids would not understand and do not need to be made aware of. Although it is hard for this sort of thing to be edited down it should be done before being shown before the watershed.