Swearing 'was OK'
Tiernan cleared by TV watchdogs
Ireland’s broadcasting watchdogs have rejected a complaint about Tommy Tiernan’s bad language on a prime-time chat show.
The comic used some form of the f-word six times when he appeared on RTE’s Tubridy Tonight programme on May 6, including calling Americans ‘the fattest fuckers in the world’.
The language prompted one viewer to complain to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission.
In response, the national broadcaster said people would know what to expect from the Tiernan and that a large proportion of the audience are unconcerned about such language, especially when broadcast after the watershed. Tubridy Tonight starts at 9.40pm
The commission agreed, saying that Tiernan’s humour and language was reasonably moderated for the programme, and that the tone of the interview was good-natured.
They ruled that the language was unlikely to cause widespread offence, but did suggest that RTE should consider broadcasting interviews which they know could contain swearing in a later time slot.
Published: 9 Aug 2006
