BAI rejects complaints about vaccines and famous movie scene

The broadcasting watchdog has rejected complaints about vaccination promotions, an environmental program, and the airing of a famous scene from ‘ When Harry Met Sally’ on radio.

The BAI’s Executive Complaints Forum rejected a complaint against The Colm & Lucy Breakfast Show on Radio Nova, after a listener complained the morning programme “featured a recording of a woman having an orgasm” - the diner scene from the Meg Ryan rom-com.

“The complainant believes that children often listen to radio during the day and does not consider the content appropriate for the time of broadcast,” the BAI report states.

The broadcaster said the segment in question was called ‘Finish Me Off…funny’ in which “the presenters provide a headline with some words missing and invites listeners to fill in the gap with a funny reply”.

“The broadcaster is of the view that the audio was used in a tongue in cheek manner and states that there was no explicit reference made on-air,” the response read.

The BAI rejected the complaint and said “while some children could have been listening, the content was not inappropriate given the type of channel and the likely audience expectation.

“Further, the Forum noted that the segment was lighthearted and was of the view that children were unlikely to understand the meaning of the clip,” it said.

One complainant was responsible for two of the five complaints rejected by the Compliance Committee, and both were regarding Boots’ promotion of the flu vaccine.

In her complaints against a segment on RTE One's Today with Maura and Daithi, and a radio Boots advert, the complainant claimed both items were potentially harmful and misleading, as they did not warn the public of the need to read leaflets associated with medicinal products. The BAI ruled the segments referred to a service on offer, not a product.

Three complaints against RTE One's Eco Eye were rejected. Two complainants had submitted that the show failed to be objective or impartial on the subject of wind energy, while the third said the “viewpoint of those who dispute the situation with climate change or who question climate catastrophism were not represented or given equal time”.