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Radio station hit for sex crime skit
The Commercial Radio was given a formal warning by the Communications Authority, urging it to strictly observe the code of practice after the hosts of one of its programs mocked victims of sex crimes in a role play.
The authority probed On a Clear Day after receiving 78 complaints against its broadcast on the morning of June 16, 2020.
In a 17-minute segment, the hosts made repeated references to a series of sex crimes in which a number of males were allegedly forced to film sexually explicit videos.
The segment contained a mock interview in which a Commercial Radio staffer played the role of one of the victims. The hosts laughed at the details given by the role playing staff member.
In a later edition of the program that aired three days later, the hosts apologized to listeners but CRHK maintained that they did not use insulting expressions and had no intention of impersonating victims.
The authority's report said CRHK failed to handle the subject "in a responsible manner" and "showed a lack of sympathy for the victims."
The program breached the Radio Program Code for irresponsible handling of sensitive material as well as its depiction of sex and violence.
However, the authority said that as hosts expressed condemnation of the alleged sex crimes, the program was not found to have glorified or presented criminal activities in a favorable light.
In a 17-minute segment, the hosts made repeated references to a series of sex crimes in which a number of males were allegedly forced to film sexually explicit videos.
The segment contained a mock interview in which a Commercial Radio staffer played the role of one of the victims. The hosts laughed at the details given by the role playing staff member.
In a later edition of the program that aired three days later, the hosts apologized to listeners but CRHK maintained that they did not use insulting expressions and had no intention of impersonating victims.
The authority's report said CRHK failed to handle the subject "in a responsible manner" and "showed a lack of sympathy for the victims."
The program breached the Radio Program Code for irresponsible handling of sensitive material as well as its depiction of sex and violence.
However, the authority said that as hosts expressed condemnation of the alleged sex crimes, the program was not found to have glorified or presented criminal activities in a favorable light.
