An investigation has been launched after it was alleged that a Capital Xtra DJ asked for payments of £200 to play songs on his weekly radio show.
Watchdog Ofcom is looking into the actions of DJ Tiiny, who has toured with stars including Stormzy, after it was claimed he charged artists for exposure.
An Ofcom spokeswoman said: “We are looking into whether this programme broke our rules regarding use of commercial agreements to select music on radio stations.”
The code (section 10.5) states that no commercial arrangement that involves payment to the broadcaster may influence the selection or rotation of music for broadcast.
One listener complained to Ofcom about the reported pay-for-play deal, it said.
DJ Tiiny, whose real name is Frank Boakye-Yiadom, had been broadcasting on Capital Xtra since 2018, with a Friday night show that featured hip-hop, R&B and grime.
Earlier this month it was reported that he had been dropped by the station after the allegations emerged in the press.
His profile no longer appears on the Capital Xtra website.
— DJTiiNY (@DJTiiNY) February 1, 2021
DJ Tiiny released an apology on Twitter in which he said he had learnt “a much needed lesson”.
“I was given an incredible opportunity within radio and carelessly and irresponsibly took advantage of my position,” he said.
“I take full responsibility for my actions and fully accept the consequences as a result. I am very sorry to everyone this has affected and to those I have let down.”
The claims initially emerged from a tweet by producer J Beatz, who posted a screengrab of an email purportedly written by the DJ and featuring a request for money.
A representative of Capital Xtra’s parent company Global declined to comment.