DJs have been criticised for drink comments

2 months ago 05th Sep 10:44

Radio presenters have been criticised for promoting heavy drinking so they seem cool to radio listeners.

Under 50% of all comments about alcohol encouraged drinking, but in output from just presenters the figure rose to 73%.

The study, which focused on radio programmes aimed at young people broadcast between December 2007 and February this year, criticised DJs for using terms such as "ruined" and "lashed" and found some 13% of monitored comments encouraged drinking to excess.

In total, presenters were responsible for 244 of 703 comments made on air about alcohol.

Where presenters did not encourage drinking, most were neutral, but 2% were negative, suggesting reasons to limit drinking - such as safety, work and health.

The Ofcom broadcasting code stipulates that TV and radio programmes should not "condone, encourage or glamorise" alcohol misuse before the watershed - unless there is "editorial justification".