Fordham weighs in over Paul Burt show
2GB Breakfast host some stern advice for his 4BC colleague over the appalling domestic violence "joke". And some words from the complainant.
7.05pm, Monday, 7 March, update: I have received a message from someone claiming to be the person who made the complaint referred to in the original Guardian article:
They write:
“I made the complaint to the TV station that Amanda Meade referred to. (Although others might have complained too.) The guest who made the offensive comments about ‘beating your missus’ was [Name and some details redacted by me — BD*] ... I cannot believe that through all the stages of filming, editing, network programming, and airing NO ONE said or thought, ‘hang on, this is wrong. We can’t say this.’ It’s a worrying indictment of a male-only media space. (And I say that as someone who watches a lot of fishing shows…)”
*I have removed the name, not to protect the offender, but because I have not been able to independently verify it.
6.55pm Monday, 7 March, update. Ben Fordham, who hosts the Breakfast show on 2GB, 4BC’s sister station, related the story of the “joke” about domestic violence this morning and addressed Paul Burt on air as follows:
“Well, Paul, you've got to wonder who your guest is and what they stand for if they're saying things like that during a recording session. And I don't know what your reaction was to the so-called joke. But I would be suggesting that whoever your guest was, you should have been saying to them straight away, ‘Mate, are you okay? What are you talking about?’ And we’re not going to have someone like that as a guest on this show. So somehow it’s gone through the wicket keeper and it on air and you can’t just expect that some editor is going to take like something like that out. And, look, I understand we record things from time to time and you can say things during a recording that you know is not going to go to air but when people are talking about domestic violence in that way you’ve got to question what’s going on in their head and it sounds like something seriously wrong.”
Well said, Ben.
[Original article follows.]
The airing of offensive remarks relating to domestic violence on the locally made fishing and boating show, Step Outside with Paul Burt, rightly led to removal of the program from the Seven Plus service. (See my earlier story here.)
Not just the offending episode, but the entire series is absent as I write. I suspect somebody at Seven is combing through the other shows in search of other offensive material. I’m not suggesting it exists, but the unforgiveable and not entirely explained way the original “error” occurred must have some people concerned.
And it would seem that that concern also extends to Nine Radio’s 4BC, home to the audio version of the show. Several episodes of Step Outside are also now missing from the station’s website.
Do they feature the same guest — who remains unnamed — or is there other concern about the content?
In any case, Paul Burt needs to step up, not outside, accept absolute responsibility and explain exactly what happened. His previous apology notwithstanding, there are questions left to be answered.
Burt has explained that the offending material remained in the show as a consequence of the departure of a video editor who he assumed would have removed it. But is that good enough? It’s certainly not best practice in the TV industry.
Moreover, was the guest known to have made offensive remarks that had to be removed during editing in the past? If so, why continue to have a person who incites violence against women on your show, let alone in your acquaintance group?
Was neither Burt nor anyone else at the production company, or the Seven Network, not even bothered to watch the final edit before it went to air on Seven Mate and into the Seven Plus archive? Is this usual practice?
Also, there is a problem with the timeline as it’s been explained. Did Burt notice the remarks after the show had gone to air and notify Seven, as he appears to say in his apology, or was action taken as a consequence of a complaint to Free TV from the public, as The Guardian reported?
Was a donation made to a domestic violence charity, as the reported complainant requested?
What happens next? Will the episodes be restored to Seven Plus, and will the series go ahead on 7 Mate?
Why were the radio episodes withdrawn? Will 4BC be taking any further action on the matter?
What consequences will there be for the person who made the remarks?
What systems will be put in place to prevent a recurrence of this event?
Last but not least, when will the big media companies finally do something to stamp out their “blokey” culture? It’s a problem for both Seven and Nine, with the latter promising action after a cultural review last year.
P.S. One positive outcome from this is that a story in the Media section in today’s The Australian has attracted a lot of online comments from people abhorred about what was said on the TV show. One person, who says they are “un-woke”, notes that there are some things that are not funny under any circumstances.
Mister Brisbane remains free to read, but if you appreciate what I’m doing here, and/or
at The Wrinkle, you can buy me a coffee. The choice to do so (or not) is yours.
Spencer v. Susie
In probably the first time in nine years, Spencer Howson and Susie O’Neill will be in direct competition on the radio over Easter.
Longtime Brisbane radio king Howson will be back in the weekday Breakfast shift on ABC Brisbane, filling in for Criag Zonca and Loretta Ryan. At the same time, O’Neill will be co-hosting hosting a national brekkie show to be heard here on Nova 106.9 while Ash Bradnam, Nikki Osborne and David “Luttsy” Lutteral take a break.
I understand O’Neill and Howson have become quite good friends in recent times. Will that friendship be tested?
Disclosure: Brett Debritz was the producer of Weekend Breakfast on 4BC a few years ago.