BBC ticked off over bleeping blunder

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | Ocober 19, 2004 | Tom Leonard

[Stoat]

BBC ticked off over bleeping blunder
By Tom Leonard, Media Editor
(Filed: 19/10/2004)

It's the sort of on-air ****-up that inevitably ends up as television entertainment. A BBC1 show devoted to exposing embarrassing on-screen mistakes supplied one itself by showing subtitles of the foul language it had bleeped out.

In what the corporation described as a "very unfortunate misunderstanding between departments", it admitted that the pre-watershed show Outtake TV had unwittingly provided the hard of hearing with full details of the profanities it had deemed unsuitable for other viewers.

Viewers who accessed the BBC's subtitling service to watch the show were treated to a stream of swear words, including "f***" and "f***ing hell", as they were uttered by the hapless celebrities who had fouled up.

The BBC has billed the peak-time series, presented by Anne Robinson, as a "newly polished version of the 'bits they didn't want you to see' " which exposes the "embarrassing moments and outlandish outtakes" of its own stars.

The BBC, responding to an investigation by the media regulator Ofcom after a viewer complained, said the department responsible for preparing the pre-recorded subtitles was provided with a tape of the programme but had wrongly assumed it was in its final form and ready for transmission.

The programme department subsequently bleeped the swearing but "this change was never communicated to the subtitling department", said the BBC. Ofcom ruled that the inclusion of swearing in the subtitles in July was "unfortunate, given that this was a pre-watershed programme".

However, it said it was taking no further action as the BBC had promised to tighten up its checking procedures, including an agreement that subtitlers will from now on question the inclusion of any strong language in pre-watershed programmes.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

Hell's bells, I'm hard of hearing and guess what: I can lip read, as can millions of others. We don't need the captions to illuminate the f-bomb: even the most novice lip-reader can tag that one. So the BBC can relax. The captions weren't telling the audience anything they didn't already "hear" direct from the celebrities' lips.

By the way, the editorial conceit of using asterisks (a la "f***-up") is just so silly. The written word conveys meaning. Is there anyone here who fails to draw the same meaning from those asterisks than they would if the word were spelled out? ...A pet peeve of mine.

[weegee]

Obviously the MSM still thinks it is "cute" when celebrities use profanity even though they can be heard using profanity in films and tv shows every day.

When Dick Cheney or George W. Bush use profanity it is "shocking". Bill Clinton used profanity too (especially against conservatives who asked the "wrong" questions) but no one gave a f***.

[Shryke]

Hehehe, not an over-the-top *&^%$ing funny story, but *$@% it, perhaps we can get some smart $^*ed comments in here.

BEEBER to the SAF list!

SAF is the Smart A$$ed Freeper list, dedicated to levity. Please email me to be on or off.

[OSHA]

People who say "pet peeve" pi$$ me off! :^)

[mhking]

F*** 'em if they can't take a joke.

Just damn.

If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[hchutch]

Major Vic Deakins, USAF (ret.) in "Broken Arrow".

[marktuoni]

I wondered what happened to Anne Robinson....You are the weakest f'n link....good-bye!

[SavageRepublican]

Yo...Dock 'em 25 f'n Championship points for each f'n time they f'n use the f'n f-bomb!

Shiite!

[SheLion]

Yo...Dock 'em 25 f'n Championship points for each f'n time they f'n use the f'n f-bomb!

This is ridiculous! Grown people, especially grown men (and a lot of teens I've been around) swear. What's the big deal.

Socker mom's don't want their little darlings to hear cuss words. Then keep the kiddies away from grown adults.

I worked at the Pit Gate at the race track up here. The pits were full of drivers, pit crews and family members. Swearing is a way of life. If people do not want to hear it, then don't go and/or use your TV remote to switch channels.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

You mean pi** you off? ;-)

[martin_fierro]

The subtitles caused some subtitters.

[Shryke]

That sounds like something old ladies have. I like it!

[OSHA]

They really chap my (*-terisk).

[shield]

bmp

[lainde]

BTTT