It’s no secret Alan Jones went way too far when implied Kiwi Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern should have a sock shoved “down her throat”. Now these comments have been found to violate Aussie broadcast rules, too.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) received 125 complaints after Jones tore into Ardern using a bunch of violent metaphors last year.
Following an investigation, the organisation has now found that his comments “offended against generally accepted community standards of decency”.
“I just wonder whether Scott Morrison’s going to be fully briefed to shove a sock down her throat,” Jones said about Ardern on-air in August, 2019.
He went also said he hoped “Scott Morrison gets tough here with a few backhanders” and that he “goes for the throat this morning”.
ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said the findings that Jones had breached the broadcasters’ code of conduct were not opposed by 2GB.
“The repeated use of violent metaphors by Mr Jones and his apparent encouragement of aggressive silencing of Ms Ardern was highly offensive and did not meet contemporary community expectations,” she added.
“This was evident in the public display of outrage from the community, actions by advertisers and actions by then chairman of Macquarie Media who publicly stated any recurrence of this type of comment would result in the termination of Mr Jones’ contract.”
When the public was understandably livid at the comments, advertisers including Koala Mattresses and Anytime Fitness voted with their wallets and ended their advertising his show.
At the time, Jones did give an on-air apology later in the day. But that didn’t absolve him from his responsibility as a broadcaster.
Jones will also be forced to issue an on-air correction over comments he made about climate change.
He had incorrectly called biomass a fossil fuel, and inaccurately compared the use of renewables in Australia and New Zealand.
The findings were released in just the nick of time, because it was only last week when Jones himself announced that he’s retiring, bitch.
