TalkSPORT Has Wrist Slapped By Ofcom

Kelvin Mackenzie’s talkSPORT is under investigation from media watchdog Ofcom after a listener complained about a comment made by one of the presenters during an analysis of a football match between Manchester City and Norwich City.

During the match discussion in talkSPORT’s Evening Kick-Off, one of the presenters made an inappropriate comment on the performance of one of the Norwich City players. The comment was in breach of Section 1.1 (General) of the Programme code.

TalkSPORT acknowledged that the comment made was insensitive and assured Ofcom that it had taken action to address situation. The broadcaster would discuss the matter with the producer and presenter of the programme.

Last month talkSPORT teamed up with Gillette to sponsor the station’s Final Whistle programmes on Saturday and Sunday afternoons (see Gillette To Sponsor talkSPORT’s Final Whistle).

The six figure deal will continue until the end of the football season in May 29, and was negotiated between talkSPORT sponsorship executive, Ashwin Saddul and Mark Leggett, radio account director at Mindshare.

Kelvin MacKenzie, Wireless Group chairman and chief executive last month reignited his war of words with radio audience measurement body RAJAR, challenging it to admit its current diary system of measuring radio listenership under-reports talkSPORT’s audience (see MacKenzie Reissues Audience Figure Challenge To RAJAR).

Ofcom: 020 7981 3040 www.ofcom.org.uk

talkSPORT: 020 7959 7800 www.talksport.co.uk

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