30 October 2012
2GB breaches privacy provisions of codes
Harbour Radio Pty Ltd, the licensee of Sydney radio station 2GB, has breached the privacy provisions of the Commercial Radio Australia Codes of Practice 2011.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority found that material relating to a person’s personal or private affairs was used when that person’s full name, street address and suburb of residence were broadcast during the Ray Hadley Morning Show on 25 November 2011. These details were sufficient to identify the person.
‘The broadcast of a person’s name and address without consent is a breach of the privacy protections under the codes,’ said ACMA Chairman, Chris Chapman.
2GB will discuss the facts of this case and the ACMA’s findings with all presenters and producers of its current affairs programs, and will incorporate the findings into its training sessions.
The ACMA will not be taking any enforcement action on this occasion as it considers that 2GB’s action in response to the ACMA investigations are commensurate with the breach (bearing in mind that this is the first such breach by this licensee, there is no current indication of systemic issues and the licensee has co-operated with the ACMA).
The investigation also found that 2GB failed to comply with the codes’ complaint-handling requirements. Complaints-handling procedures have been improved following a recent review of processes conducted since the broadcast.
Investigation report 2773 is available on the ACMA’s website.
For more information or to arrange an interview please contact: Alex McGregor on (02) 9334 7838 or media@acma.gov.au
