DJ reckless, authority agrees

Controversial radio DJ Iain Stables is in hot water again, this time for inciting "bus rage" while on air.

A Broadcasting Complaints Authority decision says the 91ZM DJ incited passengers to dance, rip up seats or leave chewing gum on them if they were angry with a bus company's service.

The comments, in which he encouraged listeners to "rage" against the buses rather than take out their frustrations on the driver, were aired twice in April.

One occasion involved live broadcasts from a bus where Stables encouraged passengers to get up and dance.

Bus company Stagecoach said Radio Network, the company responsible for running 91ZM, had acknowledged its complaint and had agreed to run an apology and pay half of the bus company's costs in the case.

But the two parties were unable to agree on the apology's wording.

Stagecoach believed Stables' comments inciting people to inflict damage on its property were criminal and his live broadcast amounted to harassment of the bus' passengers, threatening the safe environment the company tried to provide on its buses.

It wanted the words "reckless and irresponsible" included in the apology in relation to the broadcasts, but Radio Networks preferred "inappropriate".

"Although the Radio Network dismisses such encouragement as 'satirical humour', we consider that unless an example is made of [the presenter], such incidents will continue unabated.

"To describe [the presenter's] conduct as 'satire' is sick," Stagecoach said.

Radio Network said the live broadcasts were regarded with great amusement by the bus passengers and there was no complaint from the driver at the time.

Tapes of the broadcasts no longer existed and on the evidence available it did not appear Stables had incited passengers to rip up seats or leave gum on them, Radio Network said.

But the Broadcasting Standards Authority upheld Stagecoach's complaint and ordered Radio Network to include the words "reckless and irresponsible" in a statement to be broadcast within a month.

- NZPA