Ray Hadley breaches listener's privacy

30 Oct 2012, 3:30 pm   -   Source: AAP

2GB host Ray Hadley breached the radio code of practice by reading out the name and street address of a man who had made a complaint about him.

Sydney radio station 2GB has fallen foul of the media watchdog again, this time for breaching privacy.

Broadcaster Ray Hadley breached the radio code of practice by reading out a listener's name and address on air on 2GB, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found.

The finding comes after ACMA found earlier this month that breakfast presenter Alan Jones had breached the code of practice by making unsubstantiated claims about climate change.

Harbour Radio, the licensee of 2GB, was referred to ACMA in November 2011 by the complainant, who had a history of correspondence with personalities at the station.

Mr Hadley made the comments after the complainant contacted police about him.

Speaking on his morning show on November 25, the host told listeners there were two police officers outside, and added, "That would relate to a lunatic who has been writing for about the last five years the most vile letters to myself and Alan Jones.

"In fact, when a member of our staff was gravely ill, that fellow wrote a letter, that I got a copy of, saying, `I hope you die.' That's the sort of person we're dealing with."

He went on to read the man's name, along with the name of a road and a suburb.

The ACMA said Mr Hadley inadvertently read out the details of someone with a similar-sounding surname in the same suburb.

However, it said details had been given about the complainant and his correspondence with the show that were not readily available in the public domain.

ACMA chairman Chris Chapman said broadcasting a person's name and address without consent was a breach of privacy.

The complainant accused Mr Hadley of "an abuse of the public airwaves" in his submission to the ACMA.

In his comments to the ACMA on past correspondence with 2GB hosts, the complainant added, "As for the `vile things' Hadley announced I'd said in previous correspondence - I've only ever said vile things about Alan Jones because Jones is a vile person ... I've only ever wished Alan Jones dead."

ACMA directed 2GB to discuss the findings with all presenters and producers of current affairs shows.

On October 18, ACMA said Mr Jones had breached the radio code of practice by making unsubstantiated claims about climate change.

The shock jock had also been referred to the watchdog for making "disparaging" comments about Prime Minister Julia Gillard but was let off the hook for those.

  • Follow us: 
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube