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| Australian DJs left 'saddened and shocked' as prank call ends in tragedy | Australian DJs left 'saddened and shocked' as prank call ends in tragedy |
| (25 days later) | |
| The Australian radio presenters who made a prank call to the hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge three days before the nurse who handled the call apparently killed herself have been taken off the air until further notice. | The Australian radio presenters who made a prank call to the hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge three days before the nurse who handled the call apparently killed herself have been taken off the air until further notice. |
| The Sydney station 2Day FM released a statement on Friday evening expressing sadness at Jacintha Saldanha's death and saying the presenters responsible for the call, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, were "both deeply shocked". It was not clear whether the pair had been suspended nor whether they would return to their jobs. | The Sydney station 2Day FM released a statement on Friday evening expressing sadness at Jacintha Saldanha's death and saying the presenters responsible for the call, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, were "both deeply shocked". It was not clear whether the pair had been suspended nor whether they would return to their jobs. |
| "Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) and 2Day FM are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha from King Edward VII's hospital and we extend our deepest sympathies to her family and all that have been affected by this situation around the world," said the statement. | "Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) and 2Day FM are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha from King Edward VII's hospital and we extend our deepest sympathies to her family and all that have been affected by this situation around the world," said the statement. |
| "Chief executive officer Rhys Holleran has spoken with the presenters. They are both deeply shocked and at this time we have agreed that they not comment about the circumstances. SCA and the hosts have decided that they will not return to their radio show until further notice out of respect for what can only be described as a tragedy." | "Chief executive officer Rhys Holleran has spoken with the presenters. They are both deeply shocked and at this time we have agreed that they not comment about the circumstances. SCA and the hosts have decided that they will not return to their radio show until further notice out of respect for what can only be described as a tragedy." |
| Vicki Heath, PR manager for Southern Cross Austereo, which owns 2Day FM, said she was being inundated with calls. | Vicki Heath, PR manager for Southern Cross Austereo, which owns 2Day FM, said she was being inundated with calls. |
| News of the nurse's death broke in the middle of the night in Australia. Speaking in the early hours of the morning in Australia, Heath said: "We've just heard about it and I guess there's still a lot of detail that we are unaware of." She said the process of removing content relating to the prank from the station's website was under way, adding: "We are working through all of that at the moment. We are just having to get the right people out of bed." | News of the nurse's death broke in the middle of the night in Australia. Speaking in the early hours of the morning in Australia, Heath said: "We've just heard about it and I guess there's still a lot of detail that we are unaware of." She said the process of removing content relating to the prank from the station's website was under way, adding: "We are working through all of that at the moment. We are just having to get the right people out of bed." |
| She revealed that the station had learned of the nurse's death only when it was contacted at around midnight, local time, by the Daily Mail. | She revealed that the station had learned of the nurse's death only when it was contacted at around midnight, local time, by the Daily Mail. |
| The station and its DJs have attracted frequent criticism in recent years following a series of high-profile controversies. Although the call purporting to be from the Queen and Prince Charles was made by Greig and Christian, in August 2009, Kyle Sandilands, a shock jock on 2Day FM, sparked a huge public backlash following a lie-detector stunt in which a 14-year-old girl revealed she had been raped. | The station and its DJs have attracted frequent criticism in recent years following a series of high-profile controversies. Although the call purporting to be from the Queen and Prince Charles was made by Greig and Christian, in August 2009, Kyle Sandilands, a shock jock on 2Day FM, sparked a huge public backlash following a lie-detector stunt in which a 14-year-old girl revealed she had been raped. |
| Sandilands was subsequently dropped as a judge on Australian Idol and criticised by the then prime minister, Kevin Rudd, for his role in the episode. | Sandilands was subsequently dropped as a judge on Australian Idol and criticised by the then prime minister, Kevin Rudd, for his role in the episode. |
| The stunt saw the teenager strapped to a polygraph machine and asked by her mother about whether she was sexually active. The mother volunteered to quiz her daughter despite apparently already knowing she had been assaulted. | The stunt saw the teenager strapped to a polygraph machine and asked by her mother about whether she was sexually active. The mother volunteered to quiz her daughter despite apparently already knowing she had been assaulted. |
| "I've already told you the story about this, and don't look at me and smile because it's not funny," said the girl. "Oh OK, I got raped when I was 12 years old." | "I've already told you the story about this, and don't look at me and smile because it's not funny," said the girl. "Oh OK, I got raped when I was 12 years old." |
| Sandilands, who presented the show with fellow host Jackie O'Neil, then asked the girl: "Right, and is that the only sexual experience you've had?" The interview ended after O'Neil stepped in and she and Sandilands apologised, saying they had been unaware that the girl had been raped. | Sandilands, who presented the show with fellow host Jackie O'Neil, then asked the girl: "Right, and is that the only sexual experience you've had?" The interview ended after O'Neil stepped in and she and Sandilands apologised, saying they had been unaware that the girl had been raped. |
| Rudd described the stunt as "really off" and "wrong", adding: "This is a young girl and I am, as I think most Australians are, really distressed at the way in which the young person has been treated in this way." | Rudd described the stunt as "really off" and "wrong", adding: "This is a young girl and I am, as I think most Australians are, really distressed at the way in which the young person has been treated in this way." |
| Sandilands had previously gained notoriety for drinking breast milk and launching a competition to find Sydney's smallest penis. He said he was "disappointed" at the decision to drop him from Australian Idol. | Sandilands had previously gained notoriety for drinking breast milk and launching a competition to find Sydney's smallest penis. He said he was "disappointed" at the decision to drop him from Australian Idol. |
| 2Day FM responded to the criticism by taking The Kyle and Jackie O Show off air, but reinstated the pair three weeks later. O'Neil and Sandilands told listeners that "everyone on the show has learned from the mistake". Sandilands added: "What a few weeks we have had. It's pretty much obvious to everyone that the whole thing was a disaster from start to finish, a complete disaster." | 2Day FM responded to the criticism by taking The Kyle and Jackie O Show off air, but reinstated the pair three weeks later. O'Neil and Sandilands told listeners that "everyone on the show has learned from the mistake". Sandilands added: "What a few weeks we have had. It's pretty much obvious to everyone that the whole thing was a disaster from start to finish, a complete disaster." |
| The DJ also provoked fury in November last year, after he launched a verbal attack on a female journalist, Alison Stephenson, who had reported on the low ratings of a TV show he and O'Neil presented. | The DJ also provoked fury in November last year, after he launched a verbal attack on a female journalist, Alison Stephenson, who had reported on the low ratings of a TV show he and O'Neil presented. |
| "Some fat slag on news.com.au has already branded it a disaster," he said. "You can tell by reading the article that she just hates us and has always hated us. What a fat, bitter thing you are. You're deputy editor of an online thing. You've got a nothing job anyway. You're a piece of shit. This low thing, Alison Stephenson, deputy editor of news.com.au online. You're supposed to be impartial, you little troll." | "Some fat slag on news.com.au has already branded it a disaster," he said. "You can tell by reading the article that she just hates us and has always hated us. What a fat, bitter thing you are. You're deputy editor of an online thing. You've got a nothing job anyway. You're a piece of shit. This low thing, Alison Stephenson, deputy editor of news.com.au online. You're supposed to be impartial, you little troll." |
| He added: "You're a bullshit artist, girl. You should be fired from your job. Your hair's very '90s. And your blouse. You haven't got that much titty to be having that low cut a blouse. Watch your mouth or I'll hunt you down." | He added: "You're a bullshit artist, girl. You should be fired from your job. Your hair's very '90s. And your blouse. You haven't got that much titty to be having that low cut a blouse. Watch your mouth or I'll hunt you down." |
| His remarks led sponsors including the car company Holden to withdraw their sponsorship of the show. | His remarks led sponsors including the car company Holden to withdraw their sponsorship of the show. |
| In April this year, Sandilands was also criticised for referring to a Pakistani girl born with additional limbs as "spider baby" and implying her disability would give her an advantage in the Olympic games. | In April this year, Sandilands was also criticised for referring to a Pakistani girl born with additional limbs as "spider baby" and implying her disability would give her an advantage in the Olympic games. |
| The Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) described Sandilands' attack on Stephenson as "deeply derogatory and offensive" and responded by announcing further licencing conditions on 2Day FM that would stop it "broadcasting indecent content and content that demeans women or girls". | The Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) described Sandilands' attack on Stephenson as "deeply derogatory and offensive" and responded by announcing further licencing conditions on 2Day FM that would stop it "broadcasting indecent content and content that demeans women or girls". |
| However, Acma ruled that although the DJ's comments about the Pakistani girl were "grossly insensitive" and "in poor taste", they did not breach an additional condition of the station's licence. | However, Acma ruled that although the DJ's comments about the Pakistani girl were "grossly insensitive" and "in poor taste", they did not breach an additional condition of the station's licence. |
| "While the broadcast conveyed severe ridicule and was grossly insensitive, it was not likely to incite severe ridicule of the child among listeners," Acma said in a statement. "Nor did the broadcast offend generally accepted standards of decency: although the comments were in poor taste and offensive to some, they were not, in the sense contemplated by the code, lewd, coarse or indecent." | "While the broadcast conveyed severe ridicule and was grossly insensitive, it was not likely to incite severe ridicule of the child among listeners," Acma said in a statement. "Nor did the broadcast offend generally accepted standards of decency: although the comments were in poor taste and offensive to some, they were not, in the sense contemplated by the code, lewd, coarse or indecent." |
| • For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 | • For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 |
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