Crossposted from Machine Gun Keyboard:

Mine was one of numerous complaints to ABA (now ACMA) about The Parrot’s falsely driven incitements of Anglo-Aussies to riot in Cronulla in December, 2005.

Thus quoth The Parrot:

“I’m the person that’s led this charge here. Nobody wanted to know about North Cronulla, now it’s gathered to this.�

Yeah, but mainly with your help, Jonesy.

Emma Alberici reports for ABC Radio’s The World Today - podcast with Jones clips, MP3.

ACMA, which fearfully treads around Jones, has somewhat astonishingly found that Jones did in fact incite and invite bogans to raise hell in Cronulla.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has found that the licensee of commercial radio service 2GB Sydney, Harbour Radio Pty Ltd, breached the Commercial Radio Codes of Practice 2004 (the code) by broadcasting material that was likely to encourage violence or brutality.

ACMA has also found that the licensee breached the code by broadcasting material that was likely to vilify people of Lebanese background and of Middle-Eastern background on the basis of their ethnicity. While ACMA has found that the material was presented for a purpose in the public interest, being discussion of factors contributing to unrest in the Cronulla area of southern Sydney in December 2005, ACMA was not persuaded that the relevant comments were presented reasonably and in good faith.

This is 2GB’s third licence violation with a basis in the vilification provision of the broadcasters’ code in the last 6 months, but 2GB and Jones are still on the air. The ’sentence’ for this infraction is sure to be weak as fish piss, just like every other ACMA judgment against Jones/2GB.

2GB may have a licence condition added requiring them to use a time-delay so that Jones’ most offensive garbage doesn’t go to air. But be a 2GB employee for a moment; remember that Jones is a part owner of 2GB. How long would your job last if you were the board operator who hit the ‘dump’ button on The Parrot? Probably less time than it took to hit the button.

The radio and TV airwaves are the property of the people of Australia. Licences are granted on the proviso that the airwaves are used to benefit the people. I fail to see how Alan Jones’ abuse of Australian radio spectrum benefits anyone but Alan Jones.

-weez