‘Vulgar’: Call to investigate Kyle & Jackie O

Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O’s show has come under fire over claims it’s ‘racist’ and ‘misogynistic’. Picture - Supplied
Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O’s show has come under fire over claims it’s ‘racist’ and ‘misogynistic’. Picture - Supplied

The Kyle and Jackie O show has been hit with claims the program is “misogynistic” and “racist” during a senate hearing.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young asked the Australian Communications and Media Authority during the hearing why no investigation has been launched into the program.

She said jokes about “being gay” and “divisive and violent language about women and sex” had been aired on the popular program, hosted by Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson on weekdays between 6am and 10am.

Senator Hanson-Young asked the ACMA whether these comments were appropriate for air during the early morning slot.

Handing out pieces of paper with comments made on the Kyle and Jackie O show, Senator Hanson-Young asked ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin whether she would be able to read them out.

Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O’s show has come under fire over claims it’s ‘racist’ and ‘misogynistic’. Picture: Facebook: The Kyle and Jackie O Show
Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O’s show has come under fire over claims it’s ‘racist’ and ‘misogynistic’. Picture: Facebook: The Kyle and Jackie O Show
Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O airs between 6am and 10am on weekdays.
Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O airs between 6am and 10am on weekdays.

However Ms O’Loughlin replied she would “prefer not to”, noting she “wouldn’t think they were appropriate for parliamentary language”.

“These comments, this content, just a snapshot since September. Jokes about people being gay, jokes about one of the producers’ Asian housemates, jokes about dating men who are not quote ‘white’,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

“Jokes about the sexual and racial profiles of other journalists from other stations, divisive and violent language about women and sex, and goes into vulgar detail about sex acts.

“Comments on air that refer to fellow hosts as being annoying ‘b****’ and ‘ho’, jokes about overweight women and mental health.

And of course, the final point there about a competition where they got female staff to record themselves urinating, and then the boys had to figure out whose bits were contributing to that urine.”

GREENS Hanson Young
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has asked the media watchdog why no investigation has been launched into the program. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Senator Hanson-Young said the content was “not just vulgar” but “disgusting”.

“It’s belittling, belittling of women, it’s misogynistic, it’s racist, it’s sexist – it’s off,” she said.

Ms O’Loughlin said there had been 59 complaints about the show between July and October, but noted under the co-regulatory framework that complaints needed to be “dealt with by the broadcaster first and come to us for investigation after that”.

ACMA general manager content division Autumn Field said two inquiries had been made in October alone.

“Both of those inquiries were referred to the broadcaster consistent with the code process, and they haven’t yet come back to us to say that they were dissatisfied with the response from the broadcaster,” Ms Field said.

“I can confirm that in relation to the last dot point on the page that you have provided, neither of those inquiries referenced that particular one. I’m happy to come back to your notice about the other matters.”

Ms O’Loughlin said the program’s decency provisions have come into question at least twice over the last couple of years over LGBTQI matters and comments made over the Paralympics, but that she doesn’t believe “we’ve received specific complaints about the broadcast”.

SOCIAL MEDIA CONDUCT HEARINGS
Australian Communications and Media Authority Chair Nerida O'Loughlin was questioned during senate estimates on Tuesday. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

However Senator Hanson-Young pointed out the ACMA doesn’t have to wait for “specific complaints” to undertake motion investigations, asking why the ACMA hasn’t launched an investigation.

“Why haven’t you? This is revolting, sexist, racist, misogynistic, divisive stuff on free to air radio from 6am in the morning … to 10am in the morning, and you haven’t investigated it?” Ms Hanson-Young said.

“It is possible for us to gather information and decide that we want to investigate a matter where there haven’t necessarily been complaints...probably the largest one we did with that would be the investigation to the coverage of the Christchurch terrorist attacks in New Zealand,” Ms O’Loughlin said.

“We have not turned our mind to undertaking such a review, but I’m happy to take your concerns on notice and discuss that with the authority.

“We will take those (comments) seriously, and we’ll have an internal conversation.”

Ms O’Loughlin said the ACMA would like some time to consider whether the content provided by Senator Hanson-Young breaches decency standards.

“I think it would be unreasonable for us to give you an opinion at the time...we’ve only just been given it, Senator, I think we’d like some time to review it,” Ms O’Laughlin said.

Jackie 'O' Henderson and Kyle Sandilands began broadcasting to Melbourne in April this year. Picture - Supplied
Jackie 'O' Henderson and Kyle Sandilands began broadcasting to Melbourne in April this year. Picture - Supplied

Senator Hanson-Young also questioned whether there were any classifications for radio regarding the protection of children from inappropriate, harmful or unsafe content, with Ms O’Loughlin pointing to the decency provision.

“So it’s pretty important, isn’t it? The decency provision,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

“Pretty useless if it doesn’t get enforced.”

The ACMA website states the Kyle and Jackie O show breached decency provisions in 2021 over “derogatory and offensive” comments made about the Paralympics.

Kyle Sandilands then made “threatening” comments to a journalist over their coverage of the Paralympics’ comments.

“Expect a visit from me (journalist), just to clarify, being (…) is not a good thing if you want to be a serious journalist,” a transcript of Kyle Sandiland states in the investigation report.
“Well mate if I can’t come and see you, I’ll send around one of me (…) mates just to remind you of your manners. No; that’s not a threat, that’s a guarantee …

“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’.”

NewsWire has contacted the ACMA and KIIS FM’s parent company, ARN, for comment.