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Radio Watchdog Stands Guard Over Hoax Calls

The Radio Authority issued a new directive today in response to several complaints regarding wind-up calls. The new trend involves presenters making ‘hoax calls’ on air posing as someone else to unsuspecting victims.
Complaints have revealed, however, that unwitting victims may suffer some distress. For example, an incident on Viking FM in Hull in which a man could be heard crying on air after being told that he was being fined £2000 for not paying his road tax, was highlighted by the Authority.
On another occasion the Child Support Agency complained that a hoax call made by Metro FM (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) had wasted the agency’s time and was broadcast without permission.
The new guidelines require that permission be sought from ‘victims’ before calls are broadcast. The guidelines read: “The ‘wind-up’ call is a technique that, if it is to be used, requires care. The general idea behind ‘wind-ups’ should be that they are good-humoured and that ‘victims’ should not be exploited in an unacceptable way.”
…The Radio Authority has also said that it welcomes the Government’s Communications Green Paper, published yesterday (see Government ‘Green Paper’ Sets The Scene For The Fundamental Restructuring Of The Information Superhighway), and advocates sector-specific expertise in any new regulatory structure.
Radio Authority: 0171 430 2724