BBC forced to make on-air apology over 'foul-mouthed' Live Earth concert

The BBC has been ordered to make an humiliating apology for broadcasting celebrities using foul language on TV at a time when millions of children were watching.

More than 100 viewers complained that the "most offensive language" was heard in the afternoon during last year's Live Earth concert - way before the 9pm watershed for ensuring that nothing unsuitable for children is aired.

The BBC broadcast five performers - including Phil Collins, Ricky Gervais and Razorlight singer Johnny Borrell - using the f-word, or variants of it, before the watershed.

After 9pm, the BBC also broadcast Madonna shouting: "If you want to save the planet I want you to start jumping up and down. Come on motherf*****."

In one of the most serious nonfinancial penalties that the watchdog can impose, both BBC1 and BBC2 will have to transmit a statement detailing the corporation's repeated failure to comply with the broadcasting code.

Ofcom said the breaches of the broadcasting code had been "serious and repeated".

The BBC had "failed to deploy effective and appropriate procedures to prevent the broadcast of the most offensive language," it added.

Ofcom had previously warned the BBC after offensive language was broadcast at the Live 8 event in 2005.

The watchdog said: "Ofcom considered that the BBC had not sufficiently taken into account Ofcom's previous decisions in cases similar to Live Earth.

"This was particularly important since this programme involved the broadcast of the most offensive language before the watershed at a time when children were likely to be in the audience."

At Live Earth in July last year, Phil Collins started the onstage Wembley swearing at around 2pm while adapting the lyrics to a Genesis song, prompting presenter, Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles, to apologise for his "potty mouth".

Comedian Chris Rock shocked viewers when he yelled "motherf*****" during the event, organised by former U.S. vice-president Al Gore.

The BBC received 134 complaints and Ofcom received a further 22.

One viewer wrote at the time: "Why did the BBC transmit this during daytime TV when many children will be watching?

"Why hasn't an apology been immediately forthcoming?"

The BBC waited up to half an hour to apologise to viewers and on only one occasion did it apologise immediately.

The BBC admitted the lapses, but said that during live "rock events" monitoring processes were affected by high sound levels, so it was not always apparent when lyrics included offensive language.

Ofcom dismissed this argument, stating that the broadcaster had a duty to protect viewers.

Ofcom said it hoped the sanction announced yesterday would act as a disincentive when it came to the potential for repeating the incident.

The viewing figures for Live Earth were considered a flop, drawing only around five million viewers.

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A BBC spokesman said: "We know of Ofcom's sanction and will be complying with their request to broadcast a statement of their findings."

Ofcom is becoming increasingly tough on broadcasters who break its rules.

Channel 4 had to broadcast an apology at the start of its summer Big Brother series, following the racism furore on the celebrity version of the show.

The watchdog fined GMTV £ 2million and Channel 4 £1.5million after an inquiry into phone-in scandals found that viewers were swindled out of millions of pounds by entering contests they had no chance of winning. ITV is awaiting its penalty.