The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is “considering enforcement actions” against the KIIS network over the Kyle and Jackie O show’s repeated breaching of decency rules, despite multiple warnings.
An extensive investigation into content aired between August and December 2024 found multiple breaches by the show’s Melbourne and Sydney programmes, as well as multiple breaches over the handling of complaints by the Australian Radio Network (ARN).
“The Kyle & Jackie O Show has repeatedly and deliberately aired content that is vulgar, sexually explicit and deeply offensive,” ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said.
“Even after previous breaches and the employment of additional censors required by the ACMA, the program continues to broadcast content that is unacceptable to the community.
“ARN as the licensee of these stations, appears unwilling or unable to rein in these presenters. As a result, the ACMA is currently considering enforcement actions so that ARN takes full responsibility for the content broadcast on their station.”
The investigation highlighted particularly grievous examples, including:
- Two episodes where the hosts had to guess which staff members were urinating based on audio clips, which included “comments about the genitals of participants, and in the female staff member episode, graphic comments about menstruation and oral sex”;
- A game where contestants had to provide an “offensive description of a sexual position”;
- And a segment that included “lewd discussions about masturbation and pornography websites”.
These breaches were in addition to three breaches of the Commercial Radio Code of Practice found in an earlier 2025 investigation.
“In total, the ACMA has found 12 breaches this year alone,” the regulator said.
What happens if the ACMA takes enforcement action against the Kyle and Jackie O show?
Per The Guardian, enforcement actions by the ACMA can result in additional licence conditions, court-enforceable undertakings, and, in more serious cases, suspension or cancellation of a broadcaster’s licence.
In response to the ACMA’s findings, ARN said it has “taken steps to improve its processes” since the 2024 segments went to air.
“We acknowledge that the Kyle & Jackie O Show may not be to everyone’s taste, but, with a loyal following of more than 1.6 million listeners each week, the show has built a strong and enduring connection with its audience for decades,” a spokesperson told The Guardian.
In March, the shock jocks landed themselves in hot water after the regulator found them in breach of broadcasting standards for airing content with “sustained and vulgar graphic sexualised descriptions”.
“I was sitting in my car at 6am at the time this breakfast show started,” the complaint read.
“In the first ten minutes they mentioned (and these were the exact words) ‘sucking cock’ ‘licking vagina’ and ‘eating each other out’.”
Last year, 45 per cent of all radio decency complaints were made in regards to the Kyle & Jackie O show.
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