Labor Party on Radio racism

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2GB let off too lightly: Conroy

* Michael Bodey
* June 28, 2007

OPPOSITION communications spokesman Stephen Conroy has called the
Australian Communications and Media Authority a "doormat" over its
treatment of Sydney radio station 2GB and talkback host Alan Jones.

ACMA this week accepted undertakings from Harbour Radio, 2GB's
licensee, that training in anti-vilification procedures would be
provided to "all presenters, producers and on-air staff to the
satisfaction of ACMA". The authority would not confirm if these
undertakings were enforceable.

The 2GB board of directors will formally review and approve the
compliance program for implementation and the licensee will report to
ACMA throughout implementation of the training. It is not known what
form the training will take, whether it will be provided by an
external trainer or devised and undertaken in-house.

Senator Conroy said he was shocked at the lack of consequences for the
station after it breached the Commercial Radio Codes of Practice 2004
three times in the lead-up to the 2005 Cronulla riots.

He said ACMA should have considered the imposition of a licence
condition or financial penalties for further breaches.

In a statement, ACMA said if it wasn't "satisfied at any time that the
new arrangements will ensure compliance with the code, ACMA will
revisit the matter to consider the heightened compliance options
available to it".

"We can forgive ACMA if they could sell tickets to watch Alan Jones
take sensitivity training but this just shows serial offenders can get
away with continual breaches of the code," said Senator Conroy.

In April, ACMA released its findings that Harbour Radio and Jones had
broadcast material - specifically comments made by Jones between
December 5 and December 9 - that was "likely to encourage violence or
brutality and to vilify people of Lebanese and Middle Eastern
backgrounds on the basis of ethnicity."