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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
David Kent

RTE Claire Byrne Live show receives 16 complaints over one episode as broadcasting decisions published

One episode of Claire Byrne Live was the cause of 16 complaints, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) have revealed.

The BAI released their latest Broadcasting Complaints Decisions, which stemmed from meetings held in October 2021 and January 2022.

The Compliance Committee of the BAI considered and rejected 22 complaints - but 16 of them were in relation to the RTE show.

Read more: RTE viewers all saying the same thing as Claire Byrne presents from home after positive Covid test

The episode in question aired on October 18 2021, and featured an interview by Claire with journalist, Joe O’Shea, about people choosing not to have a Covid-19 vaccination and possible public policy options in relation to this.

Many of the complaints referenced a lack of 'fairness, objectivity and impartiality'.

One claimed that the interview "openly attacked a cohort of Irish citizens and claims that the interviewee’s reference to locking people who are not vaccinated out of society could be seen as inciting hatred towards these people."

Another complained: "The interviewee is prejudiced against people who are not vaccinated, which meant the broadcast could not be presented in an objective and impartial manner".

At meetings held in October 2021 and January 2022, the Compliance Committee of the BAI considered and rejected 22 complaints in total, including all of the complaints about the Claire Byrne Live episode.

In rejecting one of the complaints, the BAI wrote: "The Committee found no evidence in the broadcast of content that stigmatised, supported or condoned discrimination or incited hatred against any person or group in society."

READ MORE: Scientist 'floors' RTE Claire Byrne Live viewers with six ways to make major savings on laundry

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