TalkSPORT Gets Ofcom Censure For Comments On Gays

Sports TALKSPORT/LONDON gets a censure from UK broadcasting regulator OFCOM for disparagement of gay people on two shows. The commission cited a MAY 12 edition of MIKE MENDOZA's show in which the host suggested that soccer players' urging the return of a missing girl by her kidnappers was futile because "paedophiles in general are the type of people that surely would not follow football…not many gay people to the best of my knowledge are great football fans." MENDOZA was suspended for a week for the comment.

In another ruling, GARRY BUSHELL's JUNE 3 comments on "FOOTBALL FIRST" about a gay rights demonstration in MOSCOW ("I would not go to another country and try and impose my views on them, it’s up to them what they do. I think there are a lot of things to put right in this country before you go around preaching the gospel of perversion.") were "unacceptable." Both shows were held to have breached Rule 2.3.

OFCOM also cited VOICE OF AFRICA RADIO for breaching Condition 8 of its license by not being able to provide OFCOM with a requested tape of its broadcast output.

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