2GB’s Alan Jones has breached the commercial radio codes of practice by failing to present factual material accurately and by not making reasonable efforts to present significant viewpoints. The ACMA found the station to be in breach over comments critical of native vegetation laws and their administration by the (then) New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change.
The breaches relate to segments in Alan Jones’ Breakfast Show broadcast during February last year. ACMA found that 2GB “did not present nor take steps to present more than one significant viewpoint about the operation and administration of native vegetation laws in NSW.”
Explaining a ruling that will have a significant impact on talk radio broadcasters, ACMA Chairman Chris Chapman says:
“The codes require licensees to make reasonable efforts or give reasonable opportunities to present significant viewpoints on controversial issues of public importance. They can do this either within the same program or across similar programs, but merely presenting substantially identical viewpoints is not sufficient to satisfy the code.”
The ruling confirms that the onus is on the station to coordinate content across various shows. If one talk personality does not choose to espouse an alternative view to their own opinion on their show, it is incumbent on the station to make sure that an alternate view is expressed elsewhere on another show.
Sections (a) and (c) of the 2004 codes were breached:
In the preparation and presentation of current affairs programs, a licensee must ensure that:
(a) factual material is presented accurately and that reasonable efforts are made to correct substantial errors of fact at the earliest possible opportunity…
(c) reasonable efforts are made or reasonable opportunities are given to present significant viewpoints when dealing with controversial issues of public importance, either within the same program or similar programs, while the issue has immediate relevance to the community;
ACMA also found that one of the segments contained a factual error. The complainant also alleged 2GB breached the code rule against broadcasting material likely to encourage violence for its own sake but the ACMA did not uphold this complaint.
radioinfo sought comment from 2GB, but the station said, “we are still discussing the matter with ACMA [so] any comment at this time would be inappropriate.”
While the complaint has several aspects to it, perhaps the most illuminating parts of what is a complex report deal with whether reasonable efforts were made to achieve balance. The complainant says not enough effort was made to achieve balance, 2GB asserts that it is up to the complainant to contact them and ask for a chance to reply, and the umpire, ACMA, rules that 2GB did not make reasonable efforts to get the other side of the story. See the three excerpts below.
Complainant says:
2GB says initially:
and in later follow up:
The umpire rules:
To read the full report, click the related site link below.