Kyle Sandilands’ monkeypox comments breached decency rules, says ACMA

The communications watchdog has found that comments made during a broadcast of KIIS’ Kyle & Jackie O program about the monkeypox virus last year breached decency rules.

On Thursday, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) said comments made by one of the show’s co-hosts, Kyle Sandilands, during a segment in which he and his co-host, Jacqueline Ellen Last (Jackie O), discussed the outbreak of the virus in Australia were offensive to gay men and not in line with the Commercial Radio Code of Practice.

The Kyle and Jackie O program has been found in breach of radio decency rules.Credit: ARN

“The ACMA found that the overall sentiment of the segment stereotyped gay men as irresponsible in regard to their sexual health, this made them the prime carriers of a virus that presented a danger to the community and, as a result, they were not deserving of sympathy or compassion,” the authority said.

The segment in question was broadcast on August 23 last year. In it, Sandilands described the virus as “the big gay disease”, adding that “it’s only the gays getting it”. He then asked a gay listener who had called into the show if he was fearful of getting it because of his sexuality.

Sandilands also said he was concerned about getting the disease from gay colleagues, saying “I’m putting my life in the gays’ hands as well”, despite the show’s medical expert – “Dr KIIS” – explaining that the virus had a low mortality rate.

Monkeypox was declared a global health emergency in July 2022. Scientists ultimately concluded the unprecedented outbreak was tied to sex among gay and bisexual men and caused symptoms including a rash, fever, headache, muscle pain and swollen lymph nodes. However, the World Health Organisation declared it was no longer an international emergency in May, after cases dropped significantly.

According to the code, radio content “must not offend generally accepted standards of decency (for example, through the use of unjustified language), having regard to the demographic characteristics of the audience of the relevant program.”

In defence of the program, KIIS said the segment had public health and safety in mind and meant no ill-will towards the LGBTQ community.

“While the segment may have contained some unfavourable descriptions of those susceptible to the virus, being homosexual males, the segment was intended to bring about awareness to the community of the public health risk surrounding the transmission of the monkeypox virus and the availability of a vaccine to prevent transmission against infection,” the radio broadcaster wrote in its submission to ACMA.

KIIS has been contacted for comment.

ACMA Chair, Nerida O’Loughlin, described Sandilands’ comments as overly disparaging and insulting.

“We acknowledge that the program’s audience does not expect the presentation style of either the program or the presenter to always be formal and nuanced,” O’Loughlin said.

“Although there was a basis at the time for a public discussion about [monkeypox] that involved reference to gay sexuality, the segment went beyond any acceptable standards by conveying that gay men were irresponsible, were a risk to the community and did not deserve any sympathy even when presenting for medical assistance.”

In March, ACMA found that the Kyle and Jackie O show breached decency standards in a separate investigation following Sandilands’ comments about the 2020 Paralympic Games. In the segment, which was aired in September 2021, he referred to the Paralympics as the “Special Olympics” and labelled the games “horrific”.

Following the ruling, ARN agreed to deliver sensitivity training to the program’s hosts, producers, censors and other relevant staff, and to report its progress every six months for two years. The next progress report is due on September 17. The watchdog said the broadcaster will incorporate findings from the most recent investigation into future training and reporting.

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