Horizon Radio’s F-word incident cleared by Ofcom, with the issue resolved
Horizon Radio has had its violation regarding broadcasting the F word on a continuous loop resolved, after Ofcom determined the incident did not persist beyond a localized broadcast loop lasting about half an hour.
According to Ofcom, the single expletive aired non-stop for at least 26 minutes during the 6pm hour on October 9, 2025. The disruption occurred when Horizon Radio’s standard Evening Show was abruptly replaced without warning.
Three listener complaints were filed with Ofcom, complemented by Horizon Radio’s own proactive report to the regulator as soon as the problem affecting its DAB output in Milton Keynes was detected.
Horizon explained that its studio feed is transmitted to the DAB transmitter via a web stream supplied by a third party, with the actual transmission managed by a separate company. The station stated that the stream was compromised and substituted with an endless loop of offensive language without the station’s approval, linking the fault to an ongoing dispute between the stream provider and another DAB multiplex operator.
The station noted that the issue was noticed by its managing director while listening in a car at 18:24, after which senior staff immediately attempted to contact the transmission provider to take the service off air. Horizon supplied evidence of multiple recovery attempts, and the correct service was restored by 18:50.
An on-air apology followed in the next hour once control of the DAB output was regained, reading: “Earlier today you may have heard some language broadcast which may have caused offence. This was caused by circumstances outside our control, and we are very sorry for any offence this may have caused.”
Ofcom classified the repeated broadcast of the word as a clear breach of Rules 1.14 and 2.3 of the Broadcasting Code, emphasizing that the language is among the most offensive and requires strong contextual justification, especially during periods when children are likely to be listening.
Nevertheless, the regulator acknowledged Horizon’s swift response, the unplanned nature of the incident, the on-air apology, and the station’s proactive engagement with Ofcom. Horizon has since moved all streaming operations in-house and confirmed it will no longer rely on the previously involved third-party provider.
Ofcom concluded that the matter is resolved.
