Ofcom criticises radio DJ Steve Penk over suicide jokes

Ofcom has criticised radio DJ Steve Penk for making jokes about a woman considering suicide, which included playing Van Halen song Jump and saying the event should be "videoed and sent to Harry Hill". Penk made a string of jokes and comments about the woman, who did end up jumping from a bridge onto the M60 in January but survived, over the course of a two-hour period on a morning drivetime show on The Revolution radio station in Greater Manchester. The DJ joked about how inconsiderate the woman was for holding up rush-hour traffic in response to a series of travel updates filed by the news editor at Revolution. Penk also made jokes suggesting she should be encouraged to jump onto a pile of matresses, a giant bouncy castle or a trampoline. "Video it and send it to Harry Hill, it's a win-win situation isn't it?" he said at one point. Several requests came through from people stuck in the traffic jam for Penk to play Jumping Jumping by Destiny's Child and Jump by Van Halen. About 30 minutes later Penk played the Van Halen song. Ofcom received 57 complaints that Penk's behaviour was offensive and insensitive. Complainants said that playing the track Jump "showed complete lack of sensitivity to a horrific personal tragedy" and stigmatised people with mental health problems. The broadcaster said that Penk "thought very carefully about [these requests] and took the view that playing the track, and making a point of it, would have been insensitive, cheap and likely to cause offence". However, The Revolution added: "Steve's intent was to 'subliminally' demonstrate to [the listeners] and [their] fellow sufferers that he had empathy with their predicament without causing widespread upset amongst the wider audience". However, Ofcom said that while the topic of suicide is not off limits as a "subject for comedy", under the broadcasting code offensive material must be justified by the context in which it is aired. The media regulator ruled that the radio station had broken the broadcasting code relating to generally accepted standards. "While some listeners may have been frustrated to be caught in traffic (and contacted the station) most would have been aware that, in real time as the programme was being aired, there was a woman considering suicide," Ofcom said. "Under such circumstances, and given this context, Ofcom does not consider that the broadcaster applied generally accepted standards." "The comments were not made in isolation or in the context of a comedy sketch or performance, but came directly off the back of a serious news item. Further, such comments as 'video it and send it to Harry Hill, it's a win-win situation isn't it?' added to the overall inappropriateness of the content," the regulator added. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".