Programmme: Morning Ireland Date: Time:

 

Summary of complaint:

Mr. Declan McKenna (on behalf of the Cuba Support Group - Ireland) complained about the one sided RTE radio news coverage on the shooting down of two aircraft by the Cuban air force.

Mr. McKenna also complained about Morning Ireland in which there was interviews with Bob Dole (US Presidential Canidate), a number of Cuban-Americans in Miami and with President Clinton. There was no comment from any Cuban source. Mr. MCKenna stated that this report contained calls for the overthrow of the Cuban government and was the wokrst piece of Cold-war style of reporting he had heard since the collapse of socialism in Eastern Europe. He also stated that he was horrified at the style, content and imbalance of the report.

He further stated that there was no attempt at balance: in the report for instanace, President Clinton stated that the US intended to increase sanctions agains Cuba are illegal under international law and have been condemned by the UN (including the Irish government), by eh European Parliment adn by countries throughout the world. In other words,Cuba stood aaccused of breach of international law, the Us responds by implementing and extending ledislation which is already in breach of international law but only the (alleged) Cuban breach is commented on by RTE. Mr. McKenna further stated that the Radio News coverage was biased and did not provide listeners with an accurate, balaced view on the incident.

Mr. McKenna also stated that RTE did not approach the Cuba Support Group or the Cuban Embassy in London for comment despite the fact that the strory ran for almost a week.

Stations Response:

RTE in its response stated that the breadcast coverage of the shooting down of the two US aircraft should have been seen in the context of how the story developed across the radio and teday, 24th February, but it was not until Monday 26th February and Tuesday 27th, that hte story was carried on radio and television bulletins. The measures introduced by the US government on February 26th was teh main focus of international interest on that evening. The Morning Ireland editorial staff commissioned a report from RTEÕs Washington Correspondent on the story, the focus of which was to be on the reaction to teh incident on the part of the US government and Cuban exiles.

At the time of commissioning and editing the report there was no on-the-record reaction from the Cuban government which would have been incorporated into the report. That reachtion came after the broadcast of the report on Morning Ireland. Signor Miguel Alfonso Martinez of the Cuban Foreign Ministry in Havana gave a news conference extracts of which were carried in their Washington CorrespondentÕs report on the Six-One programme on F radio programmes also watch television news programmes, the Morning Ireland editorial staff felt that continuing coverage of the story on the morning of the 28th February was not necessary.

RTE was satisfied that it cannot reasonably be construed it was in breach of any of its statutory obligations in its news of the incident concerned and that it did not broadcast an official Cuban view of the matter.

Dicision of the Commission:

The Commission found that both progammes were not fair to all interests concerned. the Commission were of the opinion that the programmes were not prosented in an objective and impartial manner. Therefore RTE was in breach of itÕs statutory obligations under the Broadcasting Authority Act, 1960 as amended by the Broadcasting Authority (Amendment) Act, 1976.

The commision therefore upheld the complaint.