Major change coming to the Kyle and Jackie O Show after ACMA ruling

The Kyle and Jackie O Show has been ordered to hire a new in-studio censor after host Kyle Sandilands was found to have breached the radio industry’s ‘decency’ code with his remarks about Paralympians.

The KIIS 106.5 breakfast program now employs a second censor to assist the one it has already had on staff for years to monitor live broadcasts and make sure everything is compliant with the ACMA code of practice, reports Variety Australia.

This is in addition to staff being instructed to attend ‘sensitivity training’ classes.

While it is common practice for live radio shows to have a broadcast delay to prevent legally or ethically questionable content from going to air, Kyle and Jackie O take things further by hiring a full-time censor.

The censor is tasked with monitoring all content and censoring it when appropriate.

The KIIS 106.5 breakfast program now employs a second censor to assist the one it has already had on staff for years to monitor live broadcasts and make sure everything is compliant with the ACMA code of practice. (Pictured: Jackie 'O' Henderson)

The Kyle and Jackie O Show has been ordered to hire a new in-studio censor after host Kyle Sandilands (left) was found to have breached the radio industry’s ‘decency’ code with his remarks about Paralympians. (Right: Jackie ‘O’ Henderson)

The censor is tasked with monitoring content and censoring it when appropriate. Sandilands and Henderson are alerted when they are censored by a light going off in the studio (pictured)

The censor is tasked with monitoring content and censoring it when appropriate. Sandilands and Henderson are alerted when they are censored by a light going off in the studio (pictured)

Sandilands and his co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson are alerted when they are censored by a light going off in the studio.

The presenters often speak to the censor on air, but the staffer does not usually reply because they do not have a microphone in their booth.

It comes after Sandilands shrugged off the ruling by the media watchdog over ‘insensitive and hurtful’ remarks he made on air about disabled athletes.

He was told to undergo sensitivity training after he compared the Paralympic Games to the ‘Special Olympics’ and said ‘it’s horrific some of the things’ athletes do.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) released a report on Tuesday finding the radio station had breached the code’s ‘decency provision’ twice.

Speaking on air on Wednesday, Sandilands said he was unaware of the code breach until he read about it in the newspaper that morning.

While going through the headlines, newsreader Brooklyn Ross said to Sandilands, ‘You’re in there,’ and the shock jock dismissed the story as ‘bulls**t’.

It comes after Sandilands shrugged off the ruling by the media watchdog over 'insensitive and hurtful' remarks he made on air about disabled athletes

It comes after Sandilands shrugged off the ruling by the media watchdog over ‘insensitive and hurtful’ remarks he made on air about disabled athletes 

‘Yeah, I’m in there. Some sort of bulls**t in there about something I didn’t even know about. Still don’t know about. One day I’ll find out,’ he said.

His remarks suggest he has not started the sensitivity training ordered by ACMA.

Later in the broadcast, Sandilands joked his staff needed sensitivity training after a blow-up between executive producer Pedro Cuccovillo and guest booker Jaimee ‘Mayo’ Blazquez.

He also made several jokes about his new ‘sensitive era’ following the ACMA report, and admitted at one stage: ‘I can’t keep a straight face.’

ACMA released a report on Tuesday finding KIIS 106.5 had breached the code's 'decency provision' twice. Speaking on air on Wednesday, Sandilands said he was unaware of the code breach until he read about it in the newspaper that morning, and called the story 'bulls**t'

ACMA released a report on Tuesday finding KIIS 106.5 had breached the code’s ‘decency provision’ twice. Speaking on air on Wednesday, Sandilands said he was unaware of the code breach until he read about it in the newspaper that morning, and called the story ‘bulls**t’

The first breach happened when Sandilands and his co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson (pictured) were speaking about Paralympians on September 1, 2021. Sandilands compared the Paralympic Games to the Special Olympics and said 'it's horrific some of the things' athletes do

The first breach happened when Sandilands and his co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson (pictured) were speaking about Paralympians on September 1, 2021. Sandilands compared the Paralympic Games to the Special Olympics and said ‘it’s horrific some of the things’ athletes do

The first breach happened when Sandilands and his co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson were speaking about Paralympians on September 1, 2021.

‘Have you been watching the Special Olympics? It’s horrific some of the things,’ Sandilands said.

‘Some poor bloke ran for the high jump and then veered right ’cause he was blind and landed on his arse on the ground.

‘Then, when they were playing soccer, the blind people, I was, I was thinking, “Are you joking?” They’re throwing themselves on the ground like sausages to block the ball.

‘And I think good on you, I love the spirit of the contest… but I feel… Jesus Christ … that’s a big effort.’

The ACMA report found ‘the Paralympians in question were being mocked by Mr Sandilands, and that they were mocked for the techniques used to participate and compete in their particular sport.

‘The ACMA considers a regular listener of the program, while tolerant of irreverent presentation styles, would still be able to identify what was generally ‘acceptable’ content, and who was likely considered a ‘fair target’ for humour or mocking in contemporary Australia.’ 

Sandilands was also taken to task over comments he made about a journalist two days later on September 3.

The journalist had reported on the radio host’s remarks about the Paralympians.

The ACMA report found 'the Paralympians in question were being mocked by Mr Sandilands, and that they were mocked for the techniques used to participate and compete in their particular sport. (Pictured: Jackie 'O' Henderson)

The ACMA report found ‘the Paralympians in question were being mocked by Mr Sandilands, and that they were mocked for the techniques used to participate and compete in their particular sport. (Pictured: Jackie ‘O’ Henderson) 

‘If you’ve got no news, write about someone else that’s not going to follow it up and chase it up and find out what really happened, ’cause I’ve got a lot of time on my hands and lots of money to make things happen,’ he said.

‘Wake up, go away, pick on someone that hasn’t got the ability to destroy your entire life. No, that’s not a threat, that’s a guarantee.’

ACMA rejected a complaint Sandilands had ‘incited severe contempt and ridicule’ in his comments about the Paralympians.

‘The ACMA considers that the audience would have likely regarded Mr Sandilands’ comments, while highly offensive, as a reflection of his own strident presentation style, rather than as encouraging others to take up his views,’ the report read.

‘In light of these matters, although the ACMA considers that the Licensee broadcast material that was offensive and ridiculed people because of their disabilities, the ACMA does not consider that the high threshold test of likely incitement of ‘severe ridicule’ in ‘a reasonable listener’ was met, as required for a breach of this provision.’

HT&E, which owns KIISFM, argued in its submission that Sandilands was simply expressing his ‘genuine astonishment’.

‘Mr Sandilands employs empathetic language such as ‘the poor bloke’ and ‘Jesus Christ, that is a big effort’ which are demonstrative of a compassionate response to what he saw, as opposed to a combative or aggressive sentiment,’ it read.

‘They [Sandilands’ comments] were not made in an aggressive manner and were not said to provoke others to share in a derogatory attitude towards disabled persons as a group.’

It is not the first time Sandilands has landed in hot water over his comments after suggesting robbers in Rio should target Paralympians over able-bodied athletes during the Paralympic Games in 2016.

He said disabled athletes participating in the Rio Paralympics were easier targets for theft.

‘If I was a robber in Rio I’d be waiting for the Paralympics to start,’ he said.

The shock jock added: ‘They’re a much easier mark than the able bodied ones.’ 

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