Chaser team don’t agree with suspension

6 Jun 2009, 10:46 am   -   Source: AAP
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The Chaser's War on Everything has been taken off the air for two weeks to allow the ABC to review its approval processes, amid controversy over a skit about dying children.

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The Chaser's War on Everything has been taken off the air for two weeks to allow the ABC to review its approval processes, amid controversy over a skit about dying children.

ABC managing director Mark Scott made the decision with ABC's director of television Kim Dalton after discussions with the Chaser team.

"We have decided that this is the most appropriate course of  action," Mr Scott said in a statement.

"It gives the ABC an opportunity to complete a review of editorial approval processes.

"It also gives The Chaser a chance to regroup and review their material."

Skit sparked public outcry

ABC viewers flooded the broadcaster's website with complaints after the satirical program aired a skit on Wednesday night that depicted dying children making deathbed wishes.

The segment, titled Making A Realistic Wish Foundation, ended with actor Chris Taylor saying there was no point in making expensive wishes come true as "they're going to die anyway".

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the Chaser team was guilty of extremely poor taste and should "hang their heads in shame".

Mr Scott has apologised for the distress caused and admitted the skit went too far.

On Friday he acknowledged the ABC had made a bad decision in allowing the skit to go to air.

"In making the wrong judgment call we have let down our audience and the wider community," he said.

"We need to fully review the ABC's approval processes for programs that deliberately challenge public attitudes."

Team ‘keen to keep making the show’
   
The Chaser team later released a statement saying they were disappointed with the ABC's decision to take the show off the air.

"We were keen to keep making the show, so we're disappointed by the decision and we don't agree with it, but that aside, we'd like to apologise," the statement said.

"The piece was a very black sketch, obviously too black, and we're really sorry for the significant pain and anger we have caused."

The team said they meant the sketch to be too over-the-top to be taken seriously and never imagined it would be taken literally.

"But we now understand the sketch didn't come across as intended, and we take full responsibility for that.

"Now we've seen the impact of the piece we wish we'd thought it through better.

"There was no value in it that justifies the impact it's clearly had on people whose grief or trauma is so great already.
"We should have considered that.

"We got it wrong, we're sorry."

The Chaser team say they will not be making any further comment on the incident.
 

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