In Australia they’d be facing ACMA before you could say “fush ’n chups”.
 
But Radio Hauriki hosts Matt Heath and Jeremy Wells have been reprimanded with a day off after taking a call live to air amid assurances to the caller they were indeed off-air.
 
That caller was Deborah Stokes, the mother of England cricketer and New Zealand born Ben Stokes, who had called to complain after the duo made a few jibes about Ben’s bowling performance in the world T20 Cricket final.
 
This is a little of the conversation:
 
Deborah: I wanted to speak to somebody off air please.
 
Matt: You wanted to speak to somebody off air?
 
Deborah: Yes
 
Matt: OK. You’re off air.
 
Deborah: I am?
 
Matt: Yeah
 
Deborah: OK, that’s fine. Look, I’m just ringing in regards to the program that’s on air, I think it’s Matt and Jeremy? I just wanted to basically I guess put forward my thoughts in regards to the way they have bagged the English cricketer Ben Stokes this morning.
 
But she wasn’t off-air, she was very much live to air.

Such a call in Australia would be an immediate breach of the Commercial Radio Australia Codes of Practice and Guidelines.
 
Instead the NZME Group Progamme Director Mike McClung announced, “They’ve been suitably reprimanded, and are off-air tomorrow.“
 
The duo posted a photo (above) drinking champagne on route to Las Vegas with the caption “Feeling really remorseful for what we done. On route to Vegas for that important business trip”.
 
 And while the boys didn’t seem to be fussed nor did many of their listeners.

 
Not in Australia.
 
And in case you need reminding…
 
A licensee must not broadcast the words of an identifiable person unless:

1. (a) That person has been informed in advance or a reasonable person would be aware that the words may be broadcast: or
 
2. (b) In the case of words which have been recorded without the knowledge of the person, that person has subsequently, but prior to the broadcast, expressed consent to the broadcast of the words.