6PR host suspended after interview with PM

6PR Perth drive host Howard Sattler has been suspended after his quizzing of Julia Gillard over her partner Tim's sexuality.

Here's the part of the interview that has caused the controversy.

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The full transcript is below (courtesy of the ABC) :-

Fairfax Radio management have said they saw Sattler's questions as "disrespectful and irrelevant to the political debate". They have also apologised to Ms Gillard and Mr Mathieson.

In a statement from 6PR Program Manager Martin Boylen, he said:

"Today Howard Sattler, Drive presenter on Perth radio station 6PR, put a number of questions to Prime Minister Julia Gillard regarding the sexuality of her partner, Tim Mathieson.These questions sought to establish if there was a basis in fact to rumours circulating about the couple's relationship.

The PM answered Mr Sattler's questions with dignity and some patience.

Fairfax Radio management has reviewed this interview and considers that the questions posed by Mr Sattler were disrespectful and irrelevant to the political debate.

Mr Sattler apologised later in the program for his line of questioning. The management of FRN also extends its sincere apologies to the Prime Minister and her partner.

Mr Sattler has been suspended from broadcasting on 6PR pending an internal inquiry."

3AW's Neil Mitchell has called Sattler's questioning 'stupidity on a stick' while 2GB's Ray Hadley has called him "a dill" and maybe suffering from "relevance deprivation" while talking to the ABC's Marius Benson :-

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/newsradio/audio/20130614-hadley.mp3
or hear it here

Meanwhile, Derryn Hinch has said:

"This is just low-life stuff and Howard is being a coward on this….This was low life and it diminished the office of prime minister."

"I thought the prime minister showed a lot of class, a lot of style," Hinch said. "She should have leaned across the desk and slapped his face."

Watch his interview on Sunrise here.
 

Also read Wendy Harmer's 'When Words… Just… Fail' here.