Government report claims radio stations encourage drinking

They heard 700 on-air references to drinking -- excluding ads and song lyrics -- 73% of which were considered to encourage drinking.

Commercial radio was found to talk about drinking more than the BBC -- with 83% of the references considered to encourage drinking compared with around 50% on the BBC.

The report singled out Bauer's rock station Kerrang! Radio as the worst offender for "encouraging excessive drinking".

A Bauer Radio spokeswoman said Kerrang! Radio was a responsible broadcaster that reflected the lifestyles and interests of its listeners: "Kerrang! Radio has never been found to be in breach of the broadcast rules surrounding alcohol consumption and our presenters work within a strict and approved code.

"Throughout the year, Kerrang! 105.2 works with a variety of bodies to promote responsible attitudes to drinking. A sensible attitude to alcohol awareness is something the station takes extremely seriously."

The other stations sampled were dance stations Galaxy and Kiss, Manchester's Key 103, BBC Radio 1 and its urban music sister station 1Xtra.

Professor Norma Daykin, who led the research, said: "Our research suggests that comments about alcohol contribute to the identification and branding of radio output for many stations." said

She claimed alcohol references were used by presenters "in an effort to strengthen interactivity" with listeners.

"Alcohol was frequently positioned as a marker of the weekend, and a hangover as a marker of a good night out.

"Listeners were generally found to be more enthusiastic about drinking than presenters, but the assumption that drinking is necessary to have a good time was rarely challenged."

The full research will be unveiled at the British Sociological Association annual conference in Brighton today.

It was carried out as part of the DoH and Home Office joint campaign, Know Your Limits, which aims to encourage people to drink responsibly and recognise how much is too much.

The report comes after an Advertising Association study published in June found that friends were the key influencing factor behind a person's decision to binge-drink -- and not the media or advertising.

The government has carried out a review into the pricing and promotion of alcohol and has proposed that alcohol brands should introduce sensible drinking messages in ads via end-frames in TV and cinema spots and boxes in print ads.

It is understood to have ruled out calls for the introduction of an all-out ban on drink advertising before the 9pm watershed.