ACMA warns radio industry must create safeguards for participants in live shows
The media watchdog has called on the commercial radio industry to put in place safeguards to protect participants in live entertainment programs or risk facing new regulatory measures.
The warning follows the release of the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s report into the issue, prompted by 2Day FM’s Kyle & Jackie O breakfast show’s controversial lie detector segment when a 14 year old girl reveal she had been raped live on air.
The radio industry body, Commercial Radio Australia, launched a review of its codes of practice in 2007. The review continues and ACMA is calling on the CRA to include new provisions relating to the protection of participants in radio shows, particularly children.
The provisions are:
- Seeking to prevent the exploitation of participants in commercial radio programs;
- Ensuring the radio industry has practices and processes in place that provide safeguards for participants in commercial radio programs and are transparent to the public; and
- Dealing with children as participants in commercial radio programs, including the requirement that the best interests of the child are a licensee’s key consideration, irrespective of any consent given.
While a deadline has not been set by ACMA, the body said:
If these community concerns are not addressed in a timely manner under the co-regulatory scheme enshrined in the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (the BSA), the ACMA retains its power to determine a program standard, under section 125 of the BSA.”
The latest development follows ACMA’s announcement last month that it had commenced the process of imposing a new condition on the broadcasting licence of 2Day Sydney in response to the lie detector test segment, after the Kyle & Jackie O breakfast show has been found to be in breach of commercial radio codes.
The proposed terms of the licence condition includes:
Having regard to the special vulnerability of children, in broadcasting any program or program content in which a child:
- takes part;
- is referred to in an identifiable way; or
- is involved in any way (other than as a broadcast listener),
the Licensee must regard the best interests of that child as the paramount consideration and act in those best interests.
The process involving 2Day FM continues.
Update:
CRA chief executive Joan Warner said the commercial radio industry was open to discussing the recommendations relased by ACMA today.
The commercial radio industry already has in place a number of protections and safeguards for participants in on-air activities and for the community in relation to programs unsuitable for broadcast, as part of its existing Codes of Practice, and as acknowledged in the ACMA report.
While the industry does not believe the problem to be widespread, we are happy to work with ACMA in exploring options in relation to their recommendations for the inclusion of additional provisions in the Codes.”
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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The entire indutsry should not be penalised for the actions of a rogue, irresponsible operator, 2DAYFM. The problem is not systemic; it was connected to the conduct of one station.
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Tim, unexpectedly sloppy in Para 2. “… when a 14 year old girl reveal(ed) (sic) she had been raped live on air.”.
I think you will find it should be “… when, live on air, a 14 year old girl revelead she had been raped.” I know Kyle is vile, but what was written is not what happened on 2Day.
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