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Lord McApline (file photo) Andrew Stuart/PA Wire/Press Association Images

Ofcom launches investigation into both the BBC and ITV

The news comes as Lord McAlpine, who had been wrongly identified as being part of a paedophile ring, is expected to reach a settlement with the BBC.

OFCOM, THE INDEPENDENT regulator of the communication industry in the UK, has today announced that it is set to launch an investigation into both the BBC and ITV.

A spokesperson told the TheJournal.ie that it has launched “two new broadcast investigations,” identifying them as follows:

The first relates to a Newsnight report broadcast on 2 November into child sex abuse allegations. The second relates to the disclosure of a list of individuals alleged to be linked to child sex abuse on ITV’s This Morning, broadcast on 8 November.

It was the 2 November broadcast of Newsnight that led to Lord McApline being mistakenly identified as a member of a paedophile ring.

Despite not being named during the broadcast, he was subsequently identified online.

It is believed that McApline is set to reach a financial settlement with the BBC as a result of the accusation.

On the This Morning programme on 8 November, presenter Philip Schofield handed British Prime Minister a list of what he alleged to be Tory child abusers when live on air.

(Engin ÖZER/YouTube)

The Guardian are reporting that Schofield, along with three staff members, have been reprimanded by ITV over the incident.

The Ofcom spokesperson said that both programmes had raised issues relating to the “application of generally accepted standards by ITV and the BBC,” along with the “application of standards to prevent unfair treatment to an individual, and unwarranted infringements of privacy.”

Read: BBC in apology over Newsnight child abuse report >

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6 Comments
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    Mute Colette
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    Feb 19th 2012, 4:53 PM

    Poor fella…for a night out to end this way is tragic!!!

    48
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    Mute alan ray
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    Feb 19th 2012, 11:17 PM

    And the judge will say i will suspend the sentence,now go home and relax for yourself

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    Mute peter
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    Feb 19th 2012, 6:40 PM

    Stronger sentences need to be handed for drink fueled assaults. It should be a mandatory ten years for this kind of offence, not the piddling couple of years that are handed out by a judiciary that is completely out of touch with reality.

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    Mute Hanly Sheelagh
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    Feb 19th 2012, 10:12 PM

    This is something that needs to be dealt with urgently. We only hear about the deaths and seriously injured but there are numerous incidents of injury every weekend that don’t feature in the media. Young people who go out for a night ending up in A + E with stitches and broken bones etc from drink and drug-filled little pups who seem to have no idea how to behave in normal society.

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    Mute Paul Mc grath
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    Feb 20th 2012, 7:21 AM

    It ain’t the first time it happened in thurles….

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    Mute olive tierney
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    Feb 20th 2012, 12:53 AM

    I hope this man makes a good recovery, very sad!

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    Mute Neil Richardson
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    Feb 20th 2012, 11:55 PM

    Unfortunately he has since passed away.

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    Mute Philip Bellew
    Favourite Philip Bellew
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    Feb 20th 2012, 12:19 AM

    Gardai have ‘appealed’.

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