Should radio personalities have closer regulations?
The incident with breakfast radio hosts Kyle and Jackie O where a 14 year old girl was strapped to a lie detector and asked about her sex life, forced the media watchdog, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to review current regulatory arrangements with live radio following public out rage over the stunt.
After reading a number of online news reports and articles both primary and secondary, it is evident that this stunt has exposed social issues within our community. The general way in which this issue has been addressed is with both industry and public outrage. While there are very few who feel that radio is already and incredibly over -regulated industry compared to other media(Santow 2008) ,the two main concerns that has emerged and being discussed from this incident is the fact that the current regulatory arrangements might not be up to date or keeping pace with industry practices and community standards ( Tatnell 2009). Also the treatment of participants and subjects involved in ‘stunt’ or ‘prank’ calls, competitions and challenges on commercial radio are now being targeted towards exploitation of damaged people to achieve ratings.
ABC Radio program PM was one of the online articles that discussed Joan Warner’s opinion that the inquiry being made by the AMCA is unfair. It is felt that radio is already over- regulated compared to other industries in the media and that the segment of one in 251 commercial radio stations is only an excuse for the AMCA to apply more regulations where it is not necessary. However this Augment and a minority of online blogs (obviously Kyle and Jackie O fans) were the only ones who seemed to think that Kyle and Jackie O’s stunt had been sensationalized by the media and it was acceptable to exploit damaged people.
Overall a majority cited that the Stunt was an invasion of the child’s rights and questioned why the 10sec delay rule was not made use of in this broadcast. Another question that seemed to have arisen in many articles is whether Clause 1.5 of the Commercial Radio Code of Practice is effective or if AMCA needed to tighten the industry program codes and standards in order to stop potential damaging radios stunts, pranks and competitions from going onto air. One of the articles that prompted this discussion was published in the Australian.
In conclusion through working through various search engines it was discovered that while there are some feel that media ethic is not an issues in our society at present, the majority of sources found in both academic and public forums that radio personalities and commercial radio should have closer regulations that are up to date with the on going changing media industry.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
AMCA, 2009, accessed 17/8/2009, http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/HOMEPAGE/PC=HOME
2day FM, accessed 18/8/2009.
http://www.2dayfm.com.au/shows/kyleandjackieo/blog
Meade, A 2009, Kyle no Idol as sponsors recoil, The Australian, 3 August, accessed 18/8/2009, google database.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0„25872036-7582,00.html
Moran, J & Reines, R 2009, Kyle and Jackie O furious at gag order, The Sunday Telegraph, 8 August, accessed 17/8/2009, Altavista database.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/kyle-and-jackie-o-furious-at-gag-order/story-e6freuy9-1225759389643
news.com, accessed 19/8/2009.
http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,28383,25871523-5013560,00.html
PM with Mark Colvin 2009, radio program, ABC radio, 11 August.
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2008/s2652858.htm
Tatnell, P 2009, Kyle and Jackie stunt forces review, Adelaide Now, 11 August, accessed 18/8/2009, google database.
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0„25913992-5006343,00.html
