2REM in code breach over “I’m a wanker” song

2REM, a community station in Albury-Wondonga, has been found in breach by the ACMA for playing a song called "I'm a wanker" on a Sunday afternoon and then not handling a listener complaint properly.

A grandmother who was listening to the station with her grandchildren said: “The eldest aged eight came and asked what a ‘wanker’ was and also asked how do you play ‘pud’, can we have a game? Upon completion of the offensive song the announcer made the comment along the lines ‘and I don’t want to hear any complaints; we are all grown up’”.

The ACMA says although 2REM responded to her complaint in writing within a week of the broadcast on August 11 last year, the letter was not properly posted by a volunteer.

When the grandma followed up her complaint, the station failed to realise that the letter was not sent. When they realised what had happened they offered another apology in writing for causing offence and the subsequent oversight.

The ACMA found 2REM breached two clauses of the Community Radio Broadcasting Codes of Practice relating to the handling of complaints.