‘Off with their heads’ – Day

Mark Day has written an excellent article in The Australian today.

Day spends a significant amount of time noting the defiant attitude that Macquarie particularly have taken to ACMA, by challenging their rulings every step of the way. In part, he writes:

When ACMA head Chris Chapman announced the obligatory tough new measures to rein in 2Day's motor-mouth Kyle Sandilands, there was amazement that while Chapman could claim 2Day had been pulled into line, Sandilands escaped. Not even a lashing with a wet lettuce leaf.

ACMA's lack of powers has led Chapman to explore other options. He has taken a leaf out of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission's book and sought "negotiated outcomes" from parties being investigated.

But clearly Jones and Singleton are having none of this namby-pamby negotiation nonsense. They are fighting ACMA every step of the way, both with individual investigations into listener complaints, and by challenging the latest rule changes which they say are aimed expressly at Jones.

We know at least three complaints against Jones are currently held up because of legal argument between ACMA and Harbour Radio. There may be more — and this highlights another flaw in the system: there is no transparency in ACMA's investigations.

You can see the article here, it requires a login.