Bang Channels and Bang Media Fined

The independent regulator and competition authority has fined television licensees Bang Channels Limited and Bang Media (London) Limited.
The fine of £157,250 is issued for extremely serious, and repeated breaches of the Broadcasting Code and licence conditions. The two companies are under common ownership and control.
The material was found in breach related to unsuitable "adult sex chat" and "daytime chat" content. Some of the material contained inappropriate explicit sexual imagery. In some cases, the material was considered to be of such strength that it was only suitable for transmission with mandatory restrictions, e.g. pin control confined to adult viewers. In one programme the material was of such strength that it was considered to be equivalent to BBFC-rated 'R18' material, which is prohibited from broadcast.
These Broadcasting Code breaches continued over a five month period, certain of which occurred after Bang Channels had been found to have already breached the Code in relation to similar material. In addition the Licensee had received clear guidance from Ofcom on a number of occasions prior to some of the material that was subsequently found in breach of the Code.
Ofcom found a total of 14 breaches had occurred due to the licensees operating a wholly inadequate compliance system. This inadequate compliance amounted to manifest recklessness.
Two further breaches concerned the licensees' failure to provide recordings on request to Ofcom – a condition of all broadcasters' licences.
(BMcN)