Hinch attacks ACMA

Derryn Hinch has lined up ACMA over its handling of the most recent Alan Jones situation (see here).

Hinch has said that ACMA is infringing freedom of speech increasingly.

ACMA this week issued Instructions to 2GB over Jones, requiring the broadcaster to attend training sessions on factual accuracy and the commercial radio codes of practice.

Furthermore, the broadcaster will be given training on ensuring that alternative viewpoints are presented on issues of public importance.

Speaking to the ACMA Deputy Chairman, Richard Bean, on his 3AW Drive show in Melbourne today, Hinch said;

"I'll be damned if somebody's going to tell me that you haven't aired enough of the other side of (an) issue. You'll have to let somebody do it on your program”

”If I say there needs to be a Royal Commission into child abuse, and nobody else on the station covers that and they don't agree with me, are you saying Mitchell should then go on air and present the opposite view?”

Hinch described Alan Jones as being ‘somewhere to the right of Genghis Khan’, and said that while he didn’t like much of what Jones said, freedom of speech was paramount.

Mr Bean responded by saying that the broadcast code required stations to make reasonable efforts to present significant viewpoints when dealing with controversial issues of public importance.