Complaint over same-sex marriage broadcast by O’Carroll rejected

A complaint of imbalance about a same-sex marriage discussion presented on RTÉ radio by comedian Brendan O’Carroll has been rejected by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.

The BAI’s compliance committee has been the subject of criticisms earlier this year for decisions on similar complaints, one of which was upheld about Derek Mooney for his comments supporting same-sex marriage when presenting his RTÉ Radio 1 programme in January.

Newstalk Breakfast presenter Chris Donoghue had a complaint partially-upheld last month for saying he would vote in favour of same-sex marriage in any upcoming referendum during an item he presented last June on Dublin’s Gay Pride event.

Newspaper coverage of the same event was discussed on the Marian Finucane Show on July 29 last, when Mr O’Carroll was guest presenter.

The complainant Ray McIntyre said none of the panellists challenged the view that legislation for same-sex marriage would be anything but good, right, and progressive, and that Mr O’Carroll supported this view.

He said the presenter should have provided balance if there was no panellist with opposing views in the discussion of a subject of current public debate.

RTÉ said Mr O’Carroll did express a positive view of same-sex marriage but without advocating a partisan position, and his remarks should be seen in the context of a discussion which acknowledged different perspectives on the topic.

The BAI compliance committee found that the programme included a range of views on the topic, the likelihood of legal changes being passed by voters, and the need to take account of differing views.

“The committee found that while listeners would have benefited from more active engagement by the presenter with the guests, it was not of the view that the presenter actively endorsed proposals to change Irish legislation so as to permit same-sex marriage,” said its decision.

The case was one of four rejected at the committee’s meeting last month, all three others relating to items on RTÉ radio programmes about the conflict between Israel and Gaza.

The use of the word ‘murder’ by Morning Ireland presenter Fran McNulty in relation to the killing of four boys on a beach by fire from an off-shore Israeli naval gunboat was complained of by Karl Martin, claiming it could lead to incitement to hatred against Israel and its citizens.

RTÉ accepted it was an inaccurate term, as it had not been established that their killings had been a deliberate or criminal act. But the complaints committee considered the whole programme on July 17, which later included an interview with a an Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy spokesperson.

One of five issues resolved by BAI’s executive complaints forum related to the screening of a rape scene in an episode of TV soap Eastenders before the 9pm watershed.

The complaint was that viewers were not given adequate warning of the content, but the forum decided the notification of an on-screen ‘PS’ (parental supervision) classification and an announcement that mentioned ‘dire consequences’ introducing the programme were enough to meet minimum standards.