Radio’s ‘Cash for Comments’ spectre returns

A new chapter is about to be written on the biggest scandal ever to hit the Australian radio industry.

Media watchdog the Australian Communications and Media Authority said today that it is to review the commercial radio standards inroduced in the wake of the “cash for comments” scandal. The affair broke nearly a decade ago when the ABC’s Media Watch program revealed that radio presenters John Laws and Alan Jones were being paid to use their talk shows to speak favourably about certain companies.

Amid fresh concerns, ACMA is to begin a wide-ranging inquiry involving industry consultation and research into the public’s views on what should be acceptable. ACMA Chairman Chris Chapman said: “‘The review will focus on the provision of current affairs programs, including talkback, seeking to ensure that providers of commercial radio broadcasting services remain responsive to the need to treat advertising and other sponsored content in a way that does not lead listeners to believe that it is editorial comment, free from commercial influence.” He added:

“ACMA has been aware of industry concerns about a range of operational issues within the existing standards which merit review. In addition, the review is expected to consider what model of regulation is most appropriately applied to advertising in the evolving commercial radio market, as well as commercial agreements that have the potential to influence the content of current affairs programs.”

It will be more than a year from now before the report wraps up.

Update: We asked Commercial Radio Australia for a comment (although we didn’t offer them any cash). They declined.