Ofcom accused of censorship in Carry On free speech row
Ofcom has been accused of censorship by TV bosses in a deepening free speech row over classic comedy.
Campaigners have accused the regulator of creating a 'culture of fear' through its rules on language and offence in golden oldie favourites such as Please Sir! and the Carry On series.
They argue that the overly stringent rules and the fear of being subjected to a crippling fine amount to censorship.
While Ofcom does not operate a blacklist of banned words and phrases, TV bosses have complained they are hostages to an arbitrary and ever-changing set of guidelines.
Ofcom has insisted it is not a censor and earlier this month issued a statement insisting broadcasters had editorial freedom to decide what they air.
But Jonathan Moore, chief executive of RewindTV, said Ofcom's response 'blatantly ignores' the reality of broadcasting and urged the regulator to 'come clean' about how much pressure it puts on small channels.
He said: 'Many broadcasters live in permanent fear of falling foul of Ofcom guidelines – small companies could fold if they're hit with a fine and so, inevitably, they are forced to take a 'safety-first' approach when it comes to censorship.
'That means more and more content ends up cut, damaging the authenticity of classic shows needlessly.'
Mr Moore called on the regulator to update its guidelines to recognise the importance of protecting classic British shows.
One proposed change is a 'presumption of innocence' that would exempt broadcasters from punishment if they show material that is deemed offensive, but would ensure Ofcom has the power to take action against repeat offenders.
Campaigners have previously suggested that classic comedy should be granted an exemption from modern broadcasting rules because of their cultural and historical significance in the same way that vintage cars are exempt from road tax and VAT.
They have also said they are willing to show a 'trigger warning' before any programme starts to alert viewers to potentially outdated content.
RewindTV is among a small number of channels – which also includes Talking Pictures TV and That's TV – that have built up modest but loyal audiences through their slate of nostalgic hits.
However, the prevalence of old-fashioned language, themes and viewpoints in these films and TV programmes has triggered a clash with regulators.
TV executives acknowledge that some viewpoints have no place in the modern age. But they argue that Ofcom's guidance on specific words is 'little more than a lottery'.
For example, in a recent broadcast of 1983 comedy-drama Brass starring Timothy West, the word 'queer' was cut but its synonyms 'nancy boys' and 'pansies' were left in.
Mr Moore argued that viewers should be granted greater authority to decide what they consider offensive.
He said: 'The sort of people tuning in to RewindTV comedies are likely to know what they're going to get in terms of content, and the rules should reflect that.
'The chances of our viewers being upset by shows such as Doctor in the House or Carry On Laughing are small – they are far more likely to take umbrage at the sort of adult language that is now the norm on mainstream broadcasters.
'But it's not appropriate for us to dictate to those broadcasters' audiences any more than it is appropriate for others to dictate to our audience.'
A spokesman for Ofcom said: 'Ofcom is not a censor. Freedom of expression is at the heart of our broadcasting rules – and these rules do not prevent the broadcast of content that may be offensive or controversial to some audiences.
'Each broadcaster has editorial freedom to decide the type of programmes or films it airs.'
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