ABC’s Mark Scott ‘Sorry’ Over Chris Kenny Sketch

[icyfroth]

The boss of the ABC has apologised to conservative commentator Chris Kenny for a Chaser skit that depicted him having sex with a dog.

ABC managing director Mark Scott released a written statement today apologising to Mr Kenny, nearly seven months after the photoshopped image appeared during a skit in The Hamster Decides.

The national broadcaster received more than 200 complaints about the crude image but the ABC's complaints department found it had not breach editorial policies.

Mr Kenny has since proceeded with a defamation lawsuit against the ABC.

In the statement Mr Scott said he had come to the decision the ABC "should not have put the skit to air".

"Having reviewed the issue, in my opinion it falls short of the quality demanded by our audience and normally delivered by our programming," Mr Scott said.

"While Mr Kenny is a strong and persistent critic of the ABC, and can expect to be a subject of satire, the depiction of him was very strong in the context of the satirical point attempted."

Mr Scott said he had called Mr Kenny to apologise to him and his family and also regretted the delay in making an apology, saying he was originally waiting for internal and Australian Communications and Media Authority reviews.

Chaser team member Julian Morrow responded to Mr Scott's apology by tweeting a digitally altered photo of the ABC boss having sex with a hamster in the same vein Mr Kenny's image was used.

Mr Kenny has not yet commented on the apology but the Twitter account for his Sky News show has retweeted various tweets about it.

From Here

The ABC seems to be doing a lot of apologising lately.

[icyfroth]

I'm not ranting about free speech. I'm all for free speech.

I'm ranting about some of the disgusting and idiotic programs the ABC dishes up as entertainment, such as the Chasers, Jam'ie, The Vajina Monologues et al.

It's foul, mindless, reminiscent of DaDaism and not becoming a tax-payer funded broadcaster.

[icyfroth]

I see the pruning shears are out, Faun.

What did Poppy used to call them? The Shopping Trolleys?

[lakeland27]

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@icyfroth wrote:

I'm not ranting about free speech. I'm all for free speech.

I'm ranting about some of the disgusting and idiotic programs the ABC dishes up as entertainment, such as the Chasers, Jam'ie, The Vajina Monologues et al.

It's foul, mindless, reminiscent of DaDaism and not becoming a tax-payer funded broadcaster.

---

i feel the same about a lot of things (but possibly different things)  if you are a supporter of what the current wisdom (scoff) calls free speech you can't pick and choose who gets ''freedom'' and who doesn't. its our future as decreed by the attorney general.. so rather than cherry-pick what you do and dont like i suggest you get used to it.

[icyfroth]

I suggest the same to you Lakes...

[lakeland27]

so you get it finally

[just_me_karen]

The ABC serves all sectors of the Australian community, not just city dwellers living in flats. They serve teenagers, older people, migrants, artists, every cohort you can imagine. That's one thing that makes them special, compared to other channels that serve a narrow audience.

Just because you don't like the Crikey jokes, it doesn't mean others dislike them. Their target market most likely isn't you.

I don't like the boring children's shows on abc, but I don't rant about taking them off the air.

[kilroy_is_here]

Free speech is a myth , what we say always has a price just ask all those who have committed suicide due to verbal attacks.
Just because you cans say something doesn't mean you should.

The chaser are classic sociopaths with narcissistic tendencies they are so warped up in what they can do and the attention it gets them , that they forget or just don't plain care the impact it has on others and if you don't believe this then why is it that are always being forced to apologise , what I would like to know is just what is not making it to air and if it is as bad I expect it would be why are the abc continuing to give these people air time

[lakeland27]

write a letter to brandis then. i'm sure a lot of people agree with you (polling says 88%)  because otherwise its open slather.

[just_me_karen]

Thank you, Kilroy, that was so helpful.

I agree that it is terrible when people commit suicide after verbal attacks....and that just because you can say something, it doesn't mean you should.

But calling people sociopaths with narcissistic tendencies...that's ok?

Rofl.