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Radio presenters have been criticised for promoting heavy drinking so as to be seen as "cool" by their listeners.

Researchers from the Bristol-based University of the West of England looked at 1,200 hours of output across six BBC and commercial stations.

Under 50% of all comments about alcohol encouraged drinking, but in output from just presenters the figure rose to 73%.

BBC Radio 1's Chris Moyles came in for particular criticism. The BBC said its presenters did not encourage drinking.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7598288.stm

[Lucinda]

That sounds like quite a boring piece of research. Society in general encourages drinking, I don't think Chris Moyles can come under particular criticism for this when the whole British culture encourages excessive drinking. Things like the alcohol experiment are actually trying to make anti-drinking messages interesting and relevant.

[The Stig]

Chris Moyles has encouraged me to drink so much that I'll be dead by 30, oh, no wait a minute, he hasn't. Its one of those stupid reports done by morons with no common sense, no grip on the outside world, no life and no proper job.

[kitty]

I don't think many people would aspire to Chris Moyles as a role model...

[Rik]

We all know that the BBC hold very stringent standards with their broadcasting and they wouldn't allow Chris Moyles to 'promoting heavy drinking.' I think that the amount Chris talks about alcohol is perfectly within an acceptable limit an he certainly doesn't condone heavy drinking. It seems the BBC agree with this from what Ben the exec daytime producer was saying.

All these research story's are covered very early in the morning as well, these people seriously do need to find something else to do with their time if they feel its necessary to release their results at 5 in the morning

Edit: I now think the research is released the day before and Newsbeat cover it the day after, it really is snoozebeat!

[Jono]

Chris Moyles doesn't glamorise drinking, just like Scott Mills doesn't glamorise smoking.

I don't want to do either. If anything, Moyles is a walking example of why you shouldn't drink regularly. Sure he's a cool person but he's also large, he has man boobs, he is keeping fit to try and stop him piling on more weight, and he is regularly unwell.

If anything Moyles' comments give out the opposite effect to what the study hoped to achieve.

[unclesirbobbyrobson]

Well I can remember scott mills on new years eve. He played the drink game. Every time someone says happy new year you have a sip from your drink. Guess thats not so responsible. But is anyone really gonna listen to djs who are all moralising. You hear swearing on air and they apologise straight away. Its all so fake. No one really cares if they swear and the djs have to make this false apology.

[simonf]

I hate things like that! Just because a DJ might mention that he had a nice drink last night doesn't mean that they're encouraging people to go out and get madly trollyed 24/7.

Eurgh!

[YoppaDo]

The timing of this report is really ironic considering the amount of coverage Radio 1 and 1Xtra has put on the ill effects of alcohol over the past few weeks.

So is Moyles not allowed to now say 'I'm going for a drink with...'? Don't you just love idiotic pieces of research.

[Hugh.]

How can a group of reseachers listen to radio and decide that it's encouraging people to drink? How on earth do they know if it's gonna make people go out drinking or not? I assume they've just said "Oh no, they've mentioned alcohol, that's not allowed!"

It's pretty ridiculous if you look at what some of the people at Radio 1, expecially Aled, is doing to make people aware of the dangers of alcohol

[E*F*4L]

those Researchers from the Bristol-based University of the West of England should have their funding cut & be sacked, they really put all their years schooling to good use didn't they.

shouldn't they be doing some actual research instead of listing to the radio for days on end, maybe they should go out & enjoy themselves as a-posed to telling other people what they should & shouldn't do, the miserable politicly correct b******s

[augusta92]

The trouble is there is a massive percieved problem with underage and binge drinking....

Listening to Moyles you do get the impression that he likes a good drink..... but I have heard him explain how he always limits himself to a certain amount and never goes out drinking intending to get drunk.

but I think its better for a subject like drinking to be discussed openly, both pros and cons, so im not sure if its fair to criticise Moyles and his team for talking about drinking alcohol.

I dont actually think that Moyles and his team though are the worst R1 offenders... I think Edith in particular, before she was pregnant, used to talk a lot about going out and drinking really heavily! And doing really silly things when she was drunk.

[E*F*4L]

well Edith does own her own pub

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16146743&method=full&siteid=66633&headline=edith-barman--name_page.html

RADIO 1 star Edith Bowman is set to pull pints for punters as the landlady of a pub in her native Fife. The Scots DJ and her brother Alex are taking over the Station Buffet bar in the East Neuk village of Elie.

Edith, 30, has invested in the business. and she's expected to put in a few shifts behind the bar when she's not busy hosting Radio 1's hit afternoon show.

A Radio 1 spokeswoman said last night: "Edith's excited about it. I think she will work in the pub when she goes up to Scotland for holidays."

Edith's parents Eleanor and Sandy own the Craw's Nest Hotel in Anstruther, near Elie, and are part of the deal to buy the Station Buffet Eleanor said Edith and Alex had always talked about running their ownpub.

She added: "Edith thought about some place down south, but then thought, 'Better here at home'."

When asked if Edith would pull her weight behind the bar, Eleanor joked: "She'd better!"

Alex, 24, will be in charge of the day-today running of the Station Buffet. The formalities of the deal have still to be completed but the Bowmans are expected to take over soon.

The Station Buffet, famous for its haddock chowder,was put on the market less than a month ago with a price tag of more than £200,000.

Current landlady Elaine Melville, 44said: "We wish the Bowmans all the best. Elie is a popular place and they should do well.

"We are customers at the Craw's Nest and it is nice to pass the pub on to local people we know."

Edith is one of the rising stars of the BBC's music coverage.

As well as co-presenting the Radio 1 afternoon show with Colin Murray, she played a major part in this summer's TV coverage of the T In The Park and Glastonbury festivals.

Edith also anchored the coverage of the Live8 gig at Murrayfield.

And she showed that she can perform as well as present when she won Comic Relief Does Fame Academy this year.

Since her triumph,she has turned down several offers of recording contracts

her pub is so good it has won a award, pub award

[Rob]

Bull, they casually chat about drink sometimes like everyone does but that's about it. Then again, you can get criticized for anything now...

[Futures]

We all need to remember that we live in a country where baa baa black sheep is considered a racist song.

I don't agree with this report atall, I also agree with many of the other comments here. I did a short research project as part of my Science GCSE to see why people drank so much despite knowing about the health risks etc and Radio didn't even come into my study. If anything this report should be slamming tabloid newspapers.

[Rob]

Oh and the alcohol experiment isn't exactly promoting drinking...