Johannesburg - Jacaranda FM was fined R5000 after a presenter made remarks about an incident of bestiality, the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) said on Monday.
“We have, accordingly, decided to impose a fine of R5000 payable on or before 30 August 2014,” said commission chairman Prof Kobus van Rooyen SC.
A listener from Nelspruit lodged a complaint after one presenter - Ron Olivier - read comments from listeners about their embarrassing moments at work, when he related a message about a man who caught his cook in the kitchen “making out with a chicken”.
The complaint was that there were schoolchildren in the car when the remark was made.
“He - Olivier - thought that it was very funny but I think it is totally unacceptable to make such jokes during the day with such a young audience listening.
“I had to explain to the children what he meant by 'making out with a chicken',” the complainant wrote to the commission.
The complainant wanted the presenter to be suspended with immediate effect and the station to apologise on air.
Van Rooyen said the broadcaster responded that the presenter had exercised poor judgment with regard to this comment.
However, in his defence, he did not belabour the issue and was basically acknowledging some of the comments he had received and that the presenter had subsequently left the radio station.
The presenter had reportedly resigned from the broadcaster.
Van Rooyen said the commission concluded that the Broadcasting Code had been contravened.
“We have, however, decided that this kind of contravention should clearly be discouraged and that a mere reprimand would not have the effect which a fine would have.
“We have, accordingly, decided to impose a fine of R5000 payable on or before 30 August 2014.” - Sapa