Watchdog dismisses 13 complaints

BROADCASTER RTÉ was yesterday cleared of upsetting viewers during coverage of the Rachel O’Reilly murder trial during the summer.

Viewer Anthony John O’Brien and his grandchildren were watching RTÉ One’s 6.01 news when the programme gave a graphic account of how Dublin housewife Rachel O’Reilly was killed.

RTÉ’s coverage was graphic and inappropriate for the time of day the report was broadcast, Mr O’Brien told television standards watchdogs about the July 22 broadcast.

“He was watching the news with his grandchildren, aged seven to 12 years, while waiting for the sports results,” said a summary of his complaint.

But yesterday, the Broadcasting Complaints Commission rejected the complaint, ruling RTÉ was within its rights to broadcast the coverage of the trial.

RTÉ said the in-depth news coverage of the aftermath of the trial was broadcast as part of a news special at the end of the programme and after the sports results.

Yesterday, RTÉ 2FM’s Gerry Ryan was also cleared of a breach of taste and decency rules when his radio show revealed how serial killers went about their work.

“The whole show made grisly listening,” complained listener Eoin O’Mahony, who is a parent.

Mr O’Mahony said the broadcast contained in graphic detail what serial killers and sex attackers do to their victims.

But broadcast watchdogs said Mr Ryan had warned listeners what to expect while people who tuned in regularly knew controversial topics were common on the show.

“The presenter described what a serial killer had done and such detail was presented as matter of fact and was infrequent,” said the commission.

“At no stage did either the presenter or the interviewee try to use such material gratuitously.”

In its latest complaints bulletin, published yesterday, the commission dismissed all 13 complaints against advertisements and programmes broadcast on Irish television and radio.

A radio ad run by a bank which contained the words “You’re such a banker” drew a complaint after a listener who said the advertisers were making a rude reference to the word w**ker.

Despite the word “banker” being rhyming slang in parts of Britain with such a coarse meaning, the commission threw out the gripe and argued the ad was mild.

The commission also ruled another bank’s advertisement featuring “a comical bogeyman” was unlikely to frighten to children after a viewer said the ad had upset her child.

RTÉ Radio One Liveline host Joe Duffy was also cleared of bias while talking to angry callers about Aer Lingus’ decision to switch Heathrow flights from Shannon to Belfast.