The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland has partially upheld a complaint against Newstalk radio related to an item on the Dublin Gay Pride Parade.
A complaint was lodged by Ray McIntyre about a discussion on Newstalk Breakfast on 27 June about the Dublin Gay Pride Parade.
Mr McIntyre said two panellists were given "free rein" to talk about the importance of passing the same-sex marriage referendum, completely unopposed during the programme by any challenge from dissenting voices.
Mr McIntyre also claimed that "the presenters were completely sympathetic to all of the panel’s arguments and did not challenge them on a single point."
In particular, Mr McIntyre complained that one of the presenters, Chris Donoghue, stated that he would vote in a referendum in favour of changes to Irish law to permit same-sex marriage.
In response to the complaint Newstalk stated to the BAI that the item was not a debate or a discussion on the issue of same-sex marriage but was a human-interest piece.
Newstalk acknowledged that the presenter did give his voting preference but argued that in the overall context of the piece and the fact that there were no expressions of opinion other than that, this did not constitute a breach of section 39(a) of the Code.
However, the BAI upheld the part of the complaint pertaining to the presenter.
As his comment in the item "constitutes the statement of a partisan position by a news and current affairs presenter on a matter of current public debate, contrary to Rule 4.22 of the BAI Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality in News and Current Affairs."
Twho groups, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Marriage Equality, have both strongly criticised what they call the use of BAI complaints to "chill" public discussions about equality.
The BAI Compliance Committee rejected complaints made against RTÉ's The Savage Eye, TV3's The People's Debate with Vincent Browne, RTÉ's Six One News, South East Radio News, RTÉ Radio One Today with Seán O'Rourke.
Complaints were resolved by the Executive Complaints Forum regarding the Guinness 'Sapeurs' ad on RTÉ One, Drivetime on RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ One's Nine News, RTÉ's The Savage Eye and an RTÉ Radio One promo for Ireland's Biggest Jukebox on RTÉ Gold.
