It's surreal to think that a big splash in that slurry pit is in danger of covering us in shit, I mean poo... but poo it is, and 'poo' it will be for the time being, at least.
You see, the compliance procedure at the BBC has been tightened to the point of strangulation. It seems that we are to make programmes one-handed, whilst the other doffs a cap to the Daily Mail and its wild-eyed readership.
Whereas in the past we have been trusted to use our own judgement -- with due observance of our production guidelines and those stipulated by OFCOM -- when it comes to deciding whether the adults who listen to the show can cope with the occasional f-word, now every of your .mp3's containing an f-word or a c-word has to be sent for approval by the Head of BBC Wales, Menna Richards.
Menna is in charge of a very busy arm of the BBC that handles, amongst other projects, Dr Who.
I can't imagine her checking the effs and blinds in an Akira the Don political broadside, or one of Mudmowth's urban litanies, or -- even -- the skewed reality pop of Chavboy [the Boy?].
It doesn't appear to matter that the three artists mentioned, as well as the likes of Mclusky, the Stilletoes, Klaus Kinski, Beatbox Fozzy, Mr Phormula, Tystion, the Loves, the Physicists, KC, gindrinker, Undecorated Veterans and many others who aren't marked 'explicit' in my iTunes playlist, would have garnered little, or no, airplay under this stipulation.
That's a swathe of the most interesting and original music that has come out of Wales dowsed in Agent Orange in one fell swoop.
That's pretty offensive, I think.
And still obscenities tumble out of the mouths of the Big Brother housemates without censure or witch-hunt.
My superiors are under a lot of pressure to be seen to be being responsible to the license fee payers: but this show hasn't earned one complaint about bad language [that I am aware of] since it started its Sunday night shift over 7 years ago.
Aren't we, therefore. more in danger of offending the license payers who listen to my show, and send it music, by not providing them with the service that they expect: i.e. supporting the best Welsh music that is sent to us, regardless of knee-jerk reactions?
So, please be aware that songs featuring the f-word or the c-word [I can't ever remember playing anything with the c-word in it] are unlikely to get played, for the time being.
Radio edits would be appreciated, if at all possible.
Sorry about this.
Hopefully a normal, adult service will be resumed as soon as possible.
Please let me know your thoughts on this below. I will certainly pass them on to my producers and our editor.
** P.S. if you're interested, I'm posting most of my blogs on Facebook first.
My profile link is below. I'm not desperate for more 'Friends', honestly!
http://www.new.facebook.com/people/Adam-Thomas-Walton/726011426
©Adam Walton
2010
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