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Australian Government - Australian Communications and Media Authority

Television operations – ABC TV investigations

Most broadcasting investigation reports are published on this website. From the April - June 2011 quarter, report summaries (including the findings) are published under the Quarterly broadcasting investigations summary section of the ACMA's website (prior to the April - June 2011 quarter, summaries can be found in old copies of the ACMA's newsletter ACMAsphere) and in the ACMA Annual Report.

Prior to August 2008, only breach reports were published in full. Summaries of non-breach reports prior to August 2008 can be found in ACMAsphere and in ACMA Annual Reports.

Call sign Title/program or topic
(PDF/Word download)
Outcome Date of website publication
ABC (ABV)

2974 (.doc 854 kb)

7:30

No Breach – Accuracy; Impartiality 16 May 2013
ABC (ABV)

2977 (.doc 824 kb)

ABC News Breakfast

No Breach – Impartiality 14 May 2013
ABC (ABW)

2916 (.doc)

ABC News

No Breach – Accuracy 1 May 2013
ABC (ABW)

2936 (.doc 872 kb)

Clarke and Dawe

No Breach – Impartiality 30 Apr 2013
ABC1 (ABQ)

2966 (786 kb)

The Pillars of the Earth

No Breach – Television classifications - M 24 Apr 2013
ABC (ABN)

2973 (881 kb)

ABC News 24

No Breach – Accuracy; Stereotypes or discriminatory content

11 Apr 2013
ABC (ABT)

2945 (825 kb)

Redfern Now, Warehouse Comedy Festival, Alan Carr: Chatty Man

No Breach – Harm or offence

11 Apr 2013
ABC (ABV)

2931 (897 kb)

Lateline

No Breach – Accuracy; Impartiality; Balance

11 Apr 2013
ABC3 (ABQ)

2996 (.docx 790 kb)

The Twisted Whiskers Show

No Breach – Television classifications - G 10 Apr 2013
ABC (ABQ)

2902 (.doc 845 kb)

Insiders

No Breach – Accuracy

5 Apr 2013
ABC (ABN)

2912 (.docx 787 kb)

News Update

Breach – Quality of Captions 27 Mar 2013
ABC (ABN)

2917 (.doc 856 kb)

ABC News 24

No Breach – Accuracy; Impartiality 20 Mar 2013
ABC (ABT Tasmania)

2909 (.doc 849 kb)

Prank Patrol

No Breach – Harm or offence; Stereotypes

20 Feb 2013
ABC (ABN News 24)

2903 (.docx 875 kb)

The Drum

No Breach – Impartiality; Balance

13 Feb 2013
ABC (ABN Sydney)

2855 (.doc 889 kb)

Catalyst

No Breach – Accuracy; Impartiality; Diversity of perspectives

29 Jan 2013
ABC (ABW Perth)

2882 (.doc 868 kb)

Four Corners

No Breach – Privacy; Harm or offence

25 Jan 2013
ABC (ABN Nthn NSW)

2927 (.docx 789 kb)

The Hamster Wheel

No Breach – Television classifications - M

17 Jan 2013
ABC (ABN Sydney)

2884 (827 kb)

Catalyst

No Breach – Accuracy 9 Jan 2013
ABC (ABS SA)

2872 (PDF)

7.30

No Breach – Impartiality

20 Dec 2012
ABC (ABV Melbourne)

2853 (.doc 838 kb)

Media Watch

No Breach – Accuracy 6 Dec 2012
ABC (ABN NSW)

2806 (.doc 857 kb)

Media Watch

No Breach – Impartiality; Balance 6 Dec 2012

ABC (ABQ Brisbane)

2866 (.doc 829 kb)

Lateline

No Breach – Impartiality; Balance

23 Nov 2012

ABC (ABC2)

2905 (.docx 779 kb)

The Roast

No Breach – Television Classifications – PG

15 Nov 2012
ABC (ABQ)

2857 (.doc 954 kb)

ABC News 24

No Breach – Impartiality 13 Nov 2012
ABC (ABT)

2877 (.doc 828 kb)

ABC News 24

No Breach – Accuracy; Impartiality

7 Nov 2012
ABC (ABQ)

2862 (.doc 840 kb)

ABC News

No Breach – Impartiality; Balance

7 Nov 2012
ABC (ABN)

2837 (.docx 894 kb)

Media Watch

No Breach – Accuracy; Impartiality; Balance; Opportunity to respond; Stereotypes

6 Nov 2012
ABC (ABN)

2838 (.docx 861 kb)

Media Watch

No Breach – Impartiality; Opportunity to respond; Harm and offence; Stereotypes

6 Nov 2012
ABC (News 24)

2863 (.docx 831 kb)

ABC News Breakfast

No Breach – Factual accuracy; Misleading factual content; Correction of errors

2 Oct 2012
ABC (ABQ Qld)

2807 (.docx 799 kb)

Budget 2012: The Treasurer’s Speech

Breach – Captioning requirements

28 Sept 12
ABC TV1

2730 (.docx 2.5 mb)

Media Watch

Breach – Standard 5.3 (Opportunity to respond to allegations) of the ABC Code of Practice 2011

No Breach – Standards 2.1, 2.2 and 4.1 (Factual inaccuracy and Impartiality) of the ABC Code of Practice 2011

28 Sept 2012
ABC (ABQ Qld)

2869 (.docx 786 kb)

Rage

No Breach – Television classifications (G)

25 Sept 2012
ABC (ABV Vict)

2847 (.docx 793 kb)

Lateline

No Breach – Accuracy; Impartial presentation; Not favour one perspective over another

30 Aug 2012
ABC1 (ABQ Brisbane)

2799 (.docx 795 kb)

Q&A Lateline

Breach – Captioning requirements

21 Aug 2012
ABN (Sydney)

2784 (.docx 785 kb)

Raw Comedy Festival 2012

No Breach – Unjustified harm or offence; Stereotypes and discrimination

15 Aug 2012
ABW (Perth)

2788 (.doc 871 kb)

The World

No Breach – Accuracy; Impartiality; Balance, sensitivity, stereotypes

13 Jul 2012
ABC (ABN NSW)

2821 (.doc 893 kb)

Lateline

No Breach – Accuracy; Impartiality

13 Jul 2012
ABC (Canberra)

2810 (.docx 784 kb)

The Hamster Wheel

No Breach – Harm and offence

20 Jun 2012
ABC3 (ABV Vict)

2808 (.docx 779 kb)

You're Skitting Me

No Breach – Television classifications (G)

20 Jun 2012
ABC TV1 (ABV)

2805 (.doc 821 kb)

7.30

No Breach – Impartiality

8 Jun 2012
ABC TV3 (Vict)

2672 (.docx 813 kb)

Behind the News Extra

No Breach – Factual accuracy; Correction of significant errors; Impartiality; Representing perspectives

8 Jun 2012
ABC1 (ABV Vict)

2738 (.docx 777 kb)

The Slap

No Breach – Inappropriate depictions of sex, drug use and themes

7 Jun 2012
ABW (WA)

2795 (.docx 824 kb)

ABC News

No Breach – Harm or offence; Sensitivity, distress to relatives and cultural practices

21 May 2012
ABW (Perth)

2669 (.docx 835 kb)

Jandamarra’s War

No Breach – Accuracy; Discrimination

14 May 2012
ABC TV1 (ABV Vict)

2767 (.doc 815 kb)

Midday Report

No Breach – Dangerous imitation

10 May 2012
ABC3 (ABV Vict)

2777 (.docx 778 kb)

Kaeloo

No Breach – Television classifications (G)

27 Apr 2012
ABC (Darwin)

2783 (.doc 851 kb)

ABC News 24

No Breach – Factual accuracy; Impartiality

24 Apr 2012
ABC1 (Perth)

2757 (.docx 810 kb)

Rage

No Breach – Television classifications (G); Harm and offence (dangerous imitation and threats to health); Children and young people (managing risks of exposure to ABC content); Children and young people (minimise risk of exposure to unsuitable content)

16 Apr 2012
ABV (Vict)

2749 (.doc 829 kb)

Tim Minchin vs The Sydney Symphony Orchestra

No Breach – Harm or offence; Stereotypes or discriminatory content

2 Apr 2012
ABN (NSW)

2748 (.docx 788 kb)

Tim Minchin vs The Sydney Symphony Orchestra

No Breach – Harm or offence; Stereotypes or discriminatory content

2 Apr 2012
ABC1 (ABW - WA)

2752 (.docx 780 kb)

The Thick of It

No Breach – Language 9 Mar 2012
ABC News 24

2727 (.docx 780 kb)

Channel promotion

No Breach – Impartiality 7 Mar 2012
ABC1 (Melbourne)

2739 (.docx 786 kb)

The Slap - Manolis

No Breach – Language; Sex; Harm and offence

24 Feb 2012
ABC (ABN Sydney)

2673 (.docx 976 kb)

Judith Lucy’s Spiritual Journey

No Breach – Harm or offence; Dignity and welfare of children and young people

17 Feb 2012
ABC (ABN Sydney)

2723 (.docx 793 kb)

The Hamster Wheel

No Breach – Stereotypes or discriminatory content 14 Feb 2012
ABC2 (Vict)

2718 (.docx 799 kb)

Martin Morning

No Breach – Dangerous imitation; Manage and minimise risks for children and young people 10 Feb 2012
ABC1 (Qld)

2735 (.docx 792 kb)

The Night Watch

No Breach – Sex; Nudity; Harm and offence

8 Feb 2012
ABC1 (Perth)

2715 (.docx 784 kb)

The Song of Lunch

No Breach – Classification time zone

7 Feb 2012
ABC TV1 (Vict)

2698 (.docx 791 kb)

The Gruen Transfer

No Breach – Harm or offence; Stereotypes or discriminatory content 6 Feb 2012
ABC TV

2694 (.docx 814 kb)

Four Corners

No Breach – Balance will be sought 6 Feb 2012
ABC (ABN Sydney)

2722 (.docx 791 kb)

7:30

No Breach – Stereotypes or discriminatory content

1 Feb 2012
ABC1

2724 (.docx 791 kb)

Q&A

No Breach – Language 25 Jan 2012
ABC Canberra / ABN Sydney

2680 (.doc 957 kb)

ABC News

No Breach – Stereotypes or discriminatory content

11 Jan 2012
ABC1

2705 (.docx 789 kb)

The Slap - Hector

No Breach – Language; Sex 11 Jan 2012
ABC1

2706 (.docx 787 kb)

The Slap - Anouk

No Breach – Language; Sex 11 Jan 2012
ABC1

2642 (.doc 991 kb)

Hungry Beast

No Breach – Accuracy; Impartiality; Unduly favour one perspective over another 11 Jan 2012
ABC1

2644 (.doc 992 kb)

Four Corners

No Breach – Accuracy; Impartiality; Unduly favour one perspective over another 11 Jan 2012
ABC (ABV Melbourne)

2638 (.doc 1.1 mb)

Lateline

No Breach – Accuracy; Impartiality; Unduly favour one perspective over another

11 Jan 2012
ABC (ABQ Qld)

2622 (.docx)

7.30

No Breach – Accuracy; Impartiality

9 Dec 2011
ABC (TV24 Qld)

2671 (.docx)

Midday Report

No Breach – Accuracy 16 Nov 2011
ABC (ABN Sydney)

2497

ABC News

Breach of clause 2.15 of the ABC Code of Practice 2007

No breach of clause 7.2 of the ABC Code of Practice 2007

4 Nov 2011
ABC (ABV Melbourne)

2583 (1.1 mb)

Media Watch

No Breach – Impartiality; Accuracy

21 Oct 2011
ABC (ABN Sydney)

2619 (Word 991 kb)

7.30

No Breach – Impartiality

15 Sept 2011
ABC

2429 (Word 1.1 mb)

The 7:30 Report

Breach – Factual accuracy; Balance; Complaints handling

No Breach – Factual accuracy; Correction of significant errors; Impartiality

31 Aug 2011
ABC (ABN Sydney)

2590

Lateline

No Breach – Not unduly favour one perspective over another

25 Aug 2011
ABC3 (Qld)

2600

Studio 3

No Breach – Language; Themes 14 Jul 2011
ABC (ABV Melbourne)

2539

The 7:30 Report

No Breach – Factual accuracy 19 May 2011
ABC (ABN Sydney)

2572

ABC News Breakfast

No Breach – Impartiality 17 May 2011
ABC (Canberra)

2538

ABC News and ABC News Update

No Breach – Impartiality; Complaints handling

15 Apr 2011
ABC (ABQ Brisbane)

2541

Foreign Correspondent

Breach – Complaint handling

No Breach – Accuracy

29 Mar 2011
ABC2

2535

Criminal Justice (Series 1) [broadcast 31 August 2010 and 7, 14 and 28 September 2010]

Breach – Consumer advice – Drug use; Complaint handling 28 Mar 2011
ABC

2499

Star Stories

No Breach – Discrimination and stereotypes 21 Mar 2011
ABC

2525

Spooks

Breach – Unsuitable for M - Violence 16 Mar 2011
ABC

2520

Waking the Dead

Breach – Unsuitable for M - Violence 16 Mar 2011
ABC

2534

Last Chance to See

No Breach – Classification of material

1 Feb 2011
ABC

2524

Spooks (Series 7)

No Breach – Classification of material

18 Jan 2011
ABC

2523

Criminal Justice (Series 2) [broadcast 22 August 2010]

No Breach – Classification of material

18 Jan 2011
ABC

2522

Criminal Justice (Series 2) [broadcast 15 August 2010]

No Breach – Classification of material

18 Jan 2011
ABC

2521

Kevin McCloud's Grand Tour

No Breach – Classification of material

18 Jan 2011

ABC (ABV Melbourne)

2483

Stateline (Vic)

No Breach – Privacy 14 Jan 2011
ABC (ABQ Brisbane)

2481

The Armstrong and Miller Show

No Breach – Discrimination and sterotyping 21 Dec 2010
ABC

2489

ABC News

No Breach – Clause 2.6 (Sex and Sexuality) 19 Oct 2010
ABC (ABV Melbourne)

2442

Unfed

No Breach – Discrimination and sterotyping 8 Oct 2010
ABC

2473

Deadwood

No Breach – Material complied with MA 15+ classification 22 Sept 2010
ABC

2455

The Gruen Transfer

No Breach – M classification guidelines 17 Sept 2010
ABC

2409

The Proposition

Breach – Clause 6.2 (Television program classifications) of the ABC Code of Practice March 2007 13 Sept 2010
ABC

2403 (Word or PDF)

ABC2 News Breakfast and Lateline

No Breach – Impartiality 9 Jul 2010
ABC3

2400

The Tribe

No Breach – Material complied with G classification

1 Jun 2010
ABC

2318

Lateline

No Breach – Accuracy of factual content; Impartiality

23 Mar 2010
ABC

2237

Stateline

No Breach – Accuracy of factual content in news and current affairs programs

5 Jan 2010
ABC

2307

Sesame Street

No Breach – Material complied with G classification

10 Dec 2009
ABC

2231

The New Inventors

No Breach – Accuracy of factual content

30 Nov 2009
ABC

2126

National News

Breach – Correction of significant errors and balance

13 Oct 2009
ABC

2191

ABC News

No Breach – Impartiality, balance and service of the public interest

10 Sept 2009
ABC

2186

ABC News

No Breach – Accuracy of factual content in news and current affairs programs 27 Jul 2009
ABC

2163

The 7.30 Report

No Breach – Factual content and in context and impartiality

3 Jun 2009
ABC

2056

Ten Pound Poms

No Breach – Discrimination and Stereotypes 29 Aug 2008
ABC

1767

Foreign Correspondent

Breach – Accuracy 29 Jan 2007
ABC

1685

The Lost Secret of Catherine the Great

Breach – Unsuitable for M - themes and sex 11 Sept 2006
ABC

1418, 1474

Four Corners - 'Lords of the Forest'

Breach – Accurate presentation of factual material and impartiality in news and current affairs 27 Jul 2006
ABC

1407

A Decade Under the Influence

Breach – PG language 6 Sept 2005
ABC

1397

Four Corners

Breach – Accurate presentation of factual material 9 Feb 2005
ABC

1359

Stateline

Breach – Factual accuracy (in certain items) 7 Jun 2006
ABC

1428

ABC News

Breach – Complaint handling 6 Dec 2004
ABC

1390

News bulletin

Breach – Accuracy of factual content in news and current affairs programs 13 Jul 2004
ABC

1263

ABC Kids

Breach – Appropriate material in news updates during children's programming 22 Jul 2003
ABC

929

Four Corners - 'Deliver Us From Evil'

Breach – Complaint handling 18 Jan 2001
ABC

993

Police Rescue

Breach – Unsuitable for G time 31 May 2001
ABC

965

Backberner

Breach – Discrimination 10 Aug 2001
ABC

961

Rough Treatment

Breach – Promotion for M program in G time Complaint handling 20 Feb 2001
ABC

823

Gilbert and George

Breach – Adult themes in M Failure to provide correct audio and visual consumer advice or a warning 14 Sept 2000
ABC

906

Mixy

Breach – Inappropriate material in a news update during children's program 16 Nov 2000
ABC

662

News

Breach – Offensive language inappropriate for breakfast radio 12 Mar 1999
ABC

637

News

Breach – Accuracy in news Apology broadcast on 26 Feb 1999 29 Jan 1999
 

Last update: 16 May 2013 11:22