News : Are Kittens Better Than Kyle Sandilands?

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found that Kyle Sandiland’s on-air outburst against a journalist last year breached the radio code of practice.  Amazing, no?  They’re also taking steps to impose a license restriction on Kyle’s employer, 2DayFM which would

 ”prohibit the station from broadcasting indecent content and content that demeans women or girls”

2DayFM is fighting this restriction. For some reason. Austereo’s CEO, Rhys Holleran explains why.

“Our difficulty with the proposed licence condition is that terms such as decency, demeaning and undue emphasis on gender are broad and ambiguous and mean different things to different people.”

Dude. What the heck?  Just say YES. Just say SORRY.

(Wendy Harmer, radio maven and Hoopla doyenne, wrote a great insider’s-point-of-view piece about the Kyle Verdict today. You can read that here.)

Over here on JustB we feel very strongly about the need to stamp out this kind of circus-y, lady hating, mean spirited, PEOPLE hating nastiness.  I for one do not like Kyle Sandilands. (Remember our Letter To Jackie O?)  I feel very lucky to have only listened to his show twice, because I found it very alarming.  I have had a lucky escape, I reckon.

I think that we need to be vigilant about responsibility, accountability and imposing restrictions on shows like this to keep them in line when they waver into unsavory territory.  I am glad the ACMA is pursuing  such restrictions.

Radio can be awesome and compelling without vilifying people.  Call me old fashioned.  Maybe hire clever and funny people?  Maybe build an audience based on being innovative and entertaining and surprising?  Let’s raise our mugs to that.

I think with all that in mind, respectfully, we are much better off looking at kittens.  Here are some kittens, in honor of more inspired broadcasting and less oxygen for Kyle and his bile.  We think that kittens are way better than Kyle.

Here's a tabby kitten.

Here's a handful of kitten

Here is a fluffy grey kitten

This kitten is thinking about Kyle's show

What do you think about 2Day FM fighting the restrictions the ACMA wants to impose?  Do you think that terms such as “decency, demeaning and undue emphasis on gender” are open to wide interpretation?

Are kittens better than Kyle Sandilands?