The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of Ireland has upheld a complaint against Newstalk 106 presenter Éamon Dunphy, concluding that an interview on the work practices among theatre nurses was unfair to the Health Service Executive.
The programme, which was broadcast on January 13th on the Breakfast Show with Eamon Dunphy, was criticised for failing to provide a "fair right of reply" to the Health Service Executive (HSE). The commission said the interview had not been conducted in a "balanced manner".
The complaint by a Mr M Walsh centred on a discussion between presenter Dunphy and Liam Doran of the Irish Nurses Organisation on the work practices among theatre nurses at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital.
In its submission to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of Ireland (BCCI), the station said the HSE had been offered an opportunity to debate the issue but the request was refused as it was the HSE's policy not to debate issues live on air.
The commission acknowledged that listeners had been informed from the outset that the HSE had declined to participate live on air. It added, however, that the HSE had a right to decline to participate in a live discussion and should instead have been offered another means of response.
While acknowledging that the subject matter was serious and of public interest and that the facts of the subject matter were in the public domain, the commission concluded that a broadcaster was still obliged to be fair to all interests concerned.
"Mr Doran was allowed to state his views and opinions on the HSE without question or challenge," the commission stated. "The interview in question was not conducted in a manner which sufficiently reflected both sides of the discussion."
In a separate case, a complainant criticised comedian Tommy Tiernan who appeared on RTÉ's Tubridy Tonight for his use of foul language and inappropriate remarks.
The commission ruled that Tiernan's humour and language was "reasonably moderated" for the programme in question and that the tone of the programme was "good-natured and mild-mannered".
The commission added however that the broadcaster should consider broadcasting interviews which it knew could contain swearing or offensive language to a later time slot.
A complaint against RTÉ's Morning Ireland and Today with Pat Kenny for failing to warn listeners of "inappropriate and foul language" in a Samuel Beckett tribute composed by Bono was rejected.
A complaint against comments made by the editor of the Irish Daily Star with regard to clerical sex abuse on RTÉ's Prime Time was also rejected.
The judgments: What the BCCI ruled
Eamon Dunphy
Breakfast show criticised for failing to provide a "fair right of reply" to the HSE. Interview on work practices among theatre nurses had not been conducted in a "balanced manner".
Tommy Tiernan
Tiernan's humour and language was "reasonably moderated" for the programme in question and that the tone of the programme was "good-natured and mild-mannered".
Bono
Complaint against RTÉ's Morning Ireland and Today with Pat Kenny for failing to warn listeners of "inappropriate and foul language" in a Samuel Beckett tribute composed by Bono was rejected.