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UK Kids Radio Presenter Promoting "Neknomination"
carlito_cool
Posts: 290 Forum Member
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Takeover Radio, a kids radio station broadcasting on 103.2 in Leicester and the first of its kind in the UK has reached a new low this evening.
Their Lunchtime Presenter Mason Harris is featured in the Leicester Mercury newspaper promoting the ridiculous "Neknomination" craze: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/NekNomination-Leicester-young-man-dress-downs/story-20596554-detail/story.html
Completely irresponsible behaviour from somebody on a radio station that's supposed to target itself at young people!!
He's scheduled to be on air tomorrow from 11am. I think Ofcom could be very interested to hear the output of this show tomorrow!
Their Lunchtime Presenter Mason Harris is featured in the Leicester Mercury newspaper promoting the ridiculous "Neknomination" craze: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/NekNomination-Leicester-young-man-dress-downs/story-20596554-detail/story.html
Completely irresponsible behaviour from somebody on a radio station that's supposed to target itself at young people!!
He's scheduled to be on air tomorrow from 11am. I think Ofcom could be very interested to hear the output of this show tomorrow!
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The presenter spent all show condoning his actions and behaviour. He also made the newspaper article the station's top news story in their news bulletins during his show. Surely Ofcom need to be involved here?
Yes, this neck and nominate craze is associated with thickos downing pints of spirits and that should be condemned, but our presenter here didn't do that.
Hear you go kids, march into a shop and film yourself downing a pint of booze!
The very essence of downing that booze in a shop is an illegal act. They're licenced to sell alcohol, it's illegal to drink it on their premises.
To condone this, plug it, brag about it for 3 hours and also base a news bulletin on reading that newspaper article word for word ahead of genuine news, I think you're failing to understand that Takeover Radio is licensed as a Children's Radio Station!
I'm sorry but snorting coke and downing a pint of larger are not comparable acts, in the effect it has on the body nor in their legality.
The fact that this was on a station aimed at young people does make it somewhat more dubious, especially if the video was promoted on air, I agree.
Takeover Radio should sack that presenter.
If the presenter had apologised, and said it was a drunken moment of madness that would be one thing, but he's gone ahead and said anyone who thinks it's unwise is old and boring, possibly the worst message for kids imaginable. Even then, it could have been an issue which was dealt with off-air - then they put it on the station Twitter feed, to be read by their audience!
If on investigation this is as bad as it appears to be, Takeover Radio should probably sack both that DJ and the Twitter feed author. If the station continue to claim there's nothing wrong with this, I think OFCOM might decide there are better uses for 103.2 in Leicester.
Generally, OFCOM will only respond to a formal complaint, so it depends whether anyone has made such a complaint.
The media have been blowing the whole neknomination thing up out of proportion though. The main thing in the videos I've seen has been about the video being entertaining - the best received video I've seen was someone sat in a wing back chair next to an open fire sipping a glass of wine over five minutes, because he then stood up to reveal he was wearing a frilly skirt.
Yes, downing a pint of spirits is dangerous, but that should be the message, rather than putting all the blame on the game itself. I do accept that the game has to take some responsibility because of the peer pressure it applies, but the player has to take responsiblity too.
Have the 'outraged' bothered to make formal complaints or is it just an excuse for a rant on that internet?
To be bragging about it on air on a kids station is wrong especially when the stations official twitter feed braggs about it as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx3nw309L5o
I haven't heard or seen, Have you complained to OFCOM? Won't anyone think of the alcoholics?.. I mean children.
Ofcom state that can't always guarantee a reply but outcomes may be published in future editions of Broacasters Bulletin or whatever.
I'm usually as casual as they come, but on this occasion, the choice to broadcast and brag about such material on a children's station is appallingly bad taste and questions need to be answered here.
I'm an old fart, but this is my take. If my kids listened to a little dj on a radio station and took what he said seriously, instead of using their critical thinking and common sense, I'd feel I'd failed as a parent. Kids rebel, I did, you did. However most also have a sense of self preservation and self worth. If a kid takes what he said as a design for life and goes out and kills themselves as a result, then maybe they weren't destined for great things anyway.
(Obviously I didn't hear the piece in question and haven't read the tweets - just going by the information posted here).
http://www.takeoverradio.co.uk/lunch/index.html
There is a tweet
To be fair, that page hasn't been updated for a long time. The Monday presenter left the station a long time ago and lives in NZ.
I think the station did the right thing by removing him, they need to react appropriately to stop OFCOM getting involved.
It seems Mason has been making a bit of a name for himself on Leicester stations after being dropped from the DemonFM schedule and temporarily taken off of the Radio Fox schedule.
Just to make it clear to you all I was not fired or anything like that from DemonFM its just that they had to fit there students on the schedule with them being a student station so that's why I'm no longer on there. Where Radio Fox is concerned I'm being reinstated after an investigation because they discriminated against me which I don't wish to mention about here. I would also like to tell you all not to listen to any rumours because I was not naked in any shops I had a friends dress on for a laugh and I have NEVER been in trouble with the police before I keep my nose clean and just do voluntary work as I love radio and music and during my time in radio I have worked with some amazing people including celebrities. Radio Fox doesn't allow people with a criminal record and I have been DBS checked and it all came back completely clear so PLEASE just ignore people that are spreading rumours especially Ash. I wasn't happy with being fired from Takeover because I don't feel that it is fair because the BBC and the Mercury was happy to broadcast it so why cant Takeover? It's local news and that time of day kids are all at school. I'm really sorry if I have upset anyone it was never supposed to turn out like this it was just a joke gone too far.
Right. I was trying to avoid responding to this forum posting but as soon as I saw Ash's name I felt I had to.
Mr Harris is talking of a good friend of mine, who I know 100% is NOT spreading those kinds of rumours - to be honest, due to the nature of the incident and social media, it's not surprising that it is going on.
Before I go on, I want to state that I am not speaking on behalf of Takeover Radio in any capacity - this is merely the views of a 5 year radio presenter here.
However, I am an ex-volunteer of Takeover Radio, and I and many others were outraged at what you did on-air Mason. The Station has been on the air for over 10 years, and does a lot for school/college students in the local Leicester area to help them in their careers. People you are probably unaware of have worked their butts off to keep it afloat.
If you had made the same outburst on Demon FM or Radio Fox, or even BBC Radio Leicester - it wouldn't have mattered, as the result would have been the same, you would have been banned. I have been involved in Station management before - (on a different Station) and I completely concur with their decision.
You mentioned Merc and Radio Leicester - the reason why Radio Leicester COULD broadcast it was because they effectively balanced the argument out and remained impartial in terms of OFCOM regulations.
There was: a voice clip of you going "my grandparents were once young, and people are taking it out of context" - PRO. A health expert - (who warned of the dangers) - ANTI. Finishing off with a vox pop of DMU students giving various opinionated views. Ergo - balanced.
What you did on Takeover was PURPOSEFULLY include it both in your show - (bragging about it as self-promotion) and in a news bulletin - (which was amusing given that you were still using quotations you'd said in the first person, and reading the article word for word from the Mercury out loud).
None of what you did showed impartiality and in effect you basically encouraged it. There's no way you can defend yourself there.
It's like if I went for election in Leicester - I wouldn't be able to do my show as a presenter because how would I remain impartial? I could say "Vote for me, because I'll bring in new laws to allow cannabis". What would happen? People would vote for me, rather than look at the other parties. That's why, during elections - Stations always do a group discussion on-air rather than just allow the voice of one person.
To be honest, if I knew I was going to be in a news article where I was anywhere near alcohol and skirts - I personally would have e-mailed management and taken the month off until things had died down. You had a day before the article came out to warn management of what was going on, and you didn't.
OFCOM Broadcasting Code - Section 1, Protecting The Under 18's - 1.1. clearly stipulates:
1.1 Material that might seriously impair the physical, mental or moral development of people under eighteen must not be broadcast.
Regardless of time, who's listening or whatever - you failed to adhere to it by mentioning the use of alcohol during a day-time show - Takeover Radio is NOT responsible for your actions here, given you were trained and knew what you were doing. Even the younger volunteers at Takeover would know NOT to include this in their show.
ALL radio presenters HAVE to, by law - know of the OFCOM Broadcasting Code.
The addition of posting the Mercury article on Takeover's Twitter feed is more stupidity if anything tactful.
Given the nature of NekNomination right now, (some guy from Nottingham has just died from drinking gin in fact, it's in today's news) is this the kind of material that you should be glamourising? Did you ever stop to think about the repercussions of your actions, or what you were saying?
You have completely screwed up your own career here - anyone in the radio industry WILL tell you that the responsibility as a radio presenter - is higher than yourself. The show comes before your own personal gain. You are a public service.
People listen to you - and your opinion, if anything, may influence the decisions they make in their life. What if an alcoholic was listening? A parent?
How Radio Fox is allowing you to be back on-air Mason I have no idea - but I have heard word from a number of industry people - (who aren't actually even linked to each other) that most of the Leicester stations now know about your faux pas on Takeover Radio. This will follow you now - in any form of employment - as most employers do a background check.
In addition - the video could be used as evidence to possibly charge you under the Public Disorder Act - hopefully if such an occurrence happened it would teach you a lesson in boundaries.
Shoplifting is definitely not an action I'd associate with a radio presenter.
The fact that you continue to defend your actions just says to me that you clearly don't understand the OFCOM Code and obviously should not be allowed on any radio station any time soon.
The law states that every radio presenter should know the code in full before being allowed to broadcast, this is something you clearly don't know.
Don't get me wrong, I believe that what you get up to in your own time is entirely your own decision. Just remember that on the radio, you become a role model, especially for the listeners of a kids radio station who one day might want to grow up to be like you.
You should never have mentioned/promoted this craze on your radio show and that is the problem everyone has with it.