A NORTH-EAST local television station issued an apology over an on-air gaffe in which a newsreader used an expletive in a tirade against a colleague.

Newcastle-based Made in Tyne and Wear referred itself to the broadcasting regulator Ofcom, following the outburst which came after the newsreader asked to re-start an evening bulletin.

He was then heard to shout: “Yes you f***ing do”, to an off-camera colleague, a repeat of the expletive after receiving an off-air reply to his request re-start the bulletin.

The offensive outburst took place only ten seconds after the watershed on a Friday night news programme, in September.

The local news station is operated by Made Television Limited, which made the self-referral to the regulator.

Ofcom found that the remarks put the station in breach of two of its rules on foul language.

In its response, Ofcom underlined that its rules state that material which, “may cause offence”, needs to be, “justified by the context”.

It went on to ask the company to explain how using such an expletive during a news programme, in the first 10 seconds after the 9pm watershed, complied those regulations.

The company said the mistake was realised immediately and an on-air apology was made during a broadcast the following Monday.

It also removed the bulletin from its catch-up player.

The station also fell foul of the regulator in April last year after a viewer alerted Ofcom over repeated use of foul language and a scene featuring a sexual act in a programme featuring short films made by local amateurs.

Although it was preceded by a warning to viewers about the content, it was broadcast shortly after 6pm, well before the watershed and deemed unsuitable for children who may be watching at that time.