A youth radio programme has been reprimanded by the Broadcasting Authority for making fun of a female Secondary Five student's suicide.
Metro Broadcast was given a 'strong advice' warning over its programme C & C 997 Union, broadcast on Hit Radio on February 26. The authority said its account of the death was treated frivolously, insensitively and in bad taste and reflected a lack of discipline and training among the station's staff. It said the presenter's nonsensical laughter could be deemed objectionable.
It was the third time in less than three months that the programme had been censured. It already had a 'warning' and 'serious warning' and the authority said the station had now indicated it would change the programme's format.
'Strong advice' warnings were also issued to ATV and Commercial Radio. ATV failed to classify a mid-morning cartoon that contained nudity and seduction scenes as a parental guidance programme. The station was also criticised for showing an edition of China News Express on its World channel that had been broadcast four days earlier.
Commercial Radio was criticised for a programme that 'promoted betting'.