Letter to the editor Thursday December 13, 2012

In today's letter to the editor a reader discusses the death of a nurse in London after a hoax call by two Australian radio broadcasters.

Because they can

As a citizen classified as Indian, I will be failing in my duty for maintaining my silence over the crass behaviour of the two Australian radio presenters who, directly or indirectly, caused the untimely death of a dedicated nurse working at the King Edward VII Hospital, London.

Whether the disc jockeys' explanation during the recent TV interview was contrived or spontaneous is a matter for debate. A senior official of the hospital referred to the incident as "trickery." We are informed that the offenders recorded the audio and passed it to the review panel to decide whether the highly-sensitive "catch" should be broadcast.

The writer, however, avers that the jockeys and the reviewers collectively took a decision to release the audio, whatever the consequences.

Ratings, in the highly-competitive world of radio and television, are a cut-throat business assuming a dog-eat-dog mentality. We have a few decrepit members of a sub-species in New Zealand who think that they have a divine right to own the airwaves. For too long they have bathed in the glory of their self-importance.

One has frequently dared to call poor Maori "feral" and fast-breeders. Another called the international celebrity Susan Boyle "mentally retarded". They blurt out nasty things because they can, and get away with it.

The Australian radio network has pledged half a million dollars to a memorial fund. This gesture will not bring Jacintha Saldhana back. A husband has lost a beloved wife, two children have lost a mother, and two families have lost an exemplary leader.

S REDDY Kaitaia