Ocean FM, which based in Hampshire, but receivable on the Island, has today had its wrist slapped by Ofcom, the regulator that oversees its licence to broadcast.
The problem occurred with the type of music that Ocean is playing. It should be playing Adult Contemporary music targeting 25-44 year-olds, but Ofcom’s view is that it’s interpreting this “in a very Adult Rock type of way.”
When Ofcom listened over three days it heard, “classic and alternative/modern rock tracks such as Arctic Monkeys/Fluorescent Adolescent; The Jam/Going Underground; Lynyrd Skynyrd/Sweet Home Alabama; The Cure/Friday I’m In Love; The Clash/Should I Stay Or Should I Go; The Who/My Generation; and The Buzzcocks/Ever Fallen In Love.”
Ocean’s license required that they have “music programming will be predominantly (up to 70%) current a/c [Adult Contemporary] tracks and those from the previous twelve months, along with a spread of a/c hits from across the years.”
The problem arose with how recent the tracks were. Where as there should have been at least 51% of the tracks being from within the last 12 months, the figure was actually 9.5%. Something Ofcom doesn’t take kindly to.
“We therefore concluded that Ocean is in clear breach of its Format, and a Yellow Card warning has been issued. If we find that these issues have been addressed when we monitor the station again, then the Yellow Card will be lifted.”
If they don’t get back within the guidelines of their license, Ocean FM could well get into hot water.
