BBC criticised over band's four-letter lyrics

The rock group were interviewed in a live link from the US in December as their song, Killing In The Name, raced to number one in the UK

charts backed by a Facebook campaign to stop X Factor victor Joe McElderry clinching the Christmas top spot.

After the interview, frontman Zack de la Rocha sang the lyrics "F*** you, I won't do what you tell me" four times while performing Killing In The Name before the track was faded out by the show's producers.

Ofcom said apologies given by the BBC, the measures it had taken to prevent such an incident and the reassurances it had received from the band beforehand meant the issue had been resolved.

But it said it was "concerned... that the programme's producers were well aware in advance that the original lyrics contained very strong language".

Ofcom said the very nature of the song was about refusing to conform to society's expectations and yet despite this, the band's singer was able to repeat the lyrics four times before the song was faded out.

"This last point is of particular concern in view of the fact that the producers had full control over the output since it was provided over a live feed from the United States."

Listeners heard presenter Shelagh Fogarty saying "Get rid of it" as the song, first released in 1992, was faded out.

She said afterwards: "Sorry, we needed to get rid of that because that suddenly turned into something we were not, well we were expecting it and asked them not to do it, but they did it anyway, so buy Joe's record."

The BBC accepted the language "was neither appropriate nor justified" but had received several assurances from the band and managers that they would change the original lyrics.