Irish radio presenter censured for calling Susan Boyle a 'freak'

OutlawPete

Newstalk presenter Claire Byrne has had a complaint upheld by the Irish Broadcasting Authority for calling Susan Boyle a "freak".

Is this a step too far in censorship?

I mean, she sound like a right b*itch for saying what she said, but censoring it and reprimanding her??

A COMPLAINT against Newstalk Breakfast Show presenter Claire Byrne for calling singer Susan Boyle a “freak” and “not right in the head” has been upheld by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.

In a finding published yesterday the authority said Ms Byrne’s comments were “inherently offensive”, “disrespectful” and “not editorially justified”.

Ms Byrne made the remarks on-air when she was speaking to presenter Tom Dunne, who was doing the morning programme that followed on from the Breakfast Show .

While previewing his programme, Dunne and Ivan Yates, Byrne’s co-presenter, both said how good a singer Boyle was.

Byrne disagreed and said: “She annoys me. I can’t listen to her or watch her. She does my head in. The whole thing, she’s a freak show, she’s a freak . . . she’s not right in the head . . . it’s because she’s a freak that she’s up there.”

Newstalk claimed that Byrne’s use of the word “freak” was in relation to the Britain Got Talent show, which Boyle starred in, rather than to Boyle herself.

The BAI’s compliance committee disagreed. It stated that the language and manner of presentation was not appropriate, the other two presenters had done nothing to stop her and the comments were “likely to cause offence”.

Source

4zn76tysfajdxp

Yes.

Midnight_EG

Freak

Le King

She's not a freak. She's big boned. And Ugly. And wretched. And minging. And extremely ugly.

Jordan Berbatov

If she wasnt a good singer there would have been no problem calling her a freak

anyway she is a freak

hinault

Yes.


Incidentally having listened to that morning programme, Byrne and Yates delivery leave a lot to be desired.
Their frequent descent in to using slang words and expressions, smacks of unprofessionalism.

Two lightweights.

Le King

Subo's verdict

ballsymchugh

OutlawPete wrote: »

I mean, she sound like a right b*itch for saying what she said, but censoring it and reprimanding her??

she's a pain in the hole. she's always playing the moral authority on anyone that earns high wages or that has, as tiger woods put it, had transgressions. given her fine salary and her past she should really think before she speaks.

rossie1977

claire byrne, i wondered where she went, she was nice

i should start a campaign to get her back on tv

Doc

Freak: A thing or occurrence that is markedly unusual or irregular

A 48 year old unknown unattractive woman who’s main experience of singing came from singing in her local Catholic Church choir, and in karaoke performances at pubs. Becomes the winner of a hugely popular television program and sells huge amounts of records world wide.

Freak seams like an accurate description to me.

hinault

ballsymchugh wrote: »

she's a pain in the hole. she's always playing the moral authority on anyone that earns high wages or that has, as tiger woods put it, had transgressions. given her fine salary and her past she should really think before she speaks.

She's a bloody lightweight.




Personally I prefer presenters who are professional and who refrain from expressing their own views/bias on air.
Crap programme anyhow.
Morning Ireland wins hands down.

OutlawPete

ballsymchugh wrote: »

she's a pain in the hole. she's always playing the moral authority on anyone that earns high wages or that has, as tiger woods put it, had transgressions. given her fine salary and her past she should really think before she speaks.

Yes, I agree everyone, but the thread is not about Susan Boyle if you like her music, whether you'd give her one or not or even whether you're a fan of X-Factor or not.

Do you think that the Broadcasting Authority were right to reprimand her for watch she said?

This sets a president now, is that right?

Does she have the right to her opinion without fear of the BAI?

fuelinjection

ballsymchugh wrote: »

given her fine salary and her past she should really think before she speaks.

hmmmm now I am curious and interested ... please post any photos or email me !


I read the transcript and I think she meant that Suan Boyle was a media attraction because she is different but used the wrong word 'freak' out of context.
Myself I think that Susan Boyle has been used and abused by the X-factor leeches and people that shed a tear buy her album.

hinault

OutlawPete wrote: »

Yes, I agree everyone, but the thread is not about Susan Boyle if you like her music, whether you'd give her one or not or even whether you're a fan of X-Factor or not.

Do you think that the Broadcasting Authority were right to reprimand her for watch she said?

This sets a president now, is that right?

Does she have the right to her opinion without fear of the BAI?

If Byrne was professional, she wouldn't have expressed a favourable/unfavourable opinion.

If she was professional : she would interview and read the news without expressing her bias.

I'm glad that she was reprimanded.

Jordan Berbatov

ballsymchugh wrote: »

she's a pain in the hole. she's always playing the moral authority on anyone that earns high wages or that has, as tiger woods put it, had transgressions. given her fine salary and her past she should really think before she speaks.

is there a sex tape scandal?!










Please God, let there be a sex tape

OutlawPete

hinault wrote: »

If Byrne was professional, she wouldn't have expressed a favourable/unfavourable opinion.

If she was professional : she would interview and read the news without expressing her bias.

I'm glad that she was reprimanded.

I don't listen to the show at all, is she not supposed to give opinions on it then?

Jordan Berbatov

OutlawPete wrote: »

I don't listen to the show at all, is she not supposed to give opinions on it then?

no shes a woman of course not

Guy:Incognito

Osu wrote: »

She's not a freak. She's big boned. And Ugly. And wretched. And minging. And extremely ugly.

and freak like.

Osu wrote: »

Subo's verdict

Whats Noel Gallagher pointing got to do with this?

hinault

OutlawPete wrote: »

I don't listen to the show at all, is she not supposed to give opinions on it then?

I don't know.

I don't know if it is Newstalks policy to permit their "presenters" to give their opinions - instead of just reporting the news/current affairs.

That's why I have switched off form Newstalk : I don't want to have to listen to their opinions/views.

Rabies

OutlawPete wrote: »

Newstalk presenter Claire Byrne has had a complaint upheld by the Irish Broadcasting Authority for calling Susan Boyle a "freak".

Is this a step too far in censorship?

I mean, she sound like a right b*itch for saying what she said, but censoring it and reprimanding her??

Source

You should check out the reported posts forum and see what the good people of AH kick up about and want censored.

OutlawPete

hinault wrote: »

I don't know.

Then why did you say she was unprofessional?

With that comment you had me thinking she spoke out of turn.

For instance, I have heard Ryan Tubridy slagging off people without getting reprimanded (sure he called Michael Jackson a freak one time - could be wrong).

Podge and Rodge do it all the time also.

What so different here?

Jordan Berbatov

Rabies wrote: »

You should check out the reported posts forum and see what the good people of AH kick up about and want censored.

excuse my ignorance, but where is this?

we'llallhavetea_old

OutlawPete wrote: »

Then why did you say she was unprofessional?

With that comment you had me thinking she spoke out of turn.

For instance, I have heard Ryan Tubridy slagging off people without getting reprimanded (sure he called Michael Jackson a freak one time - could be wrong).

Podge and Rodge do it all the time also.

What so different here?

i don't see any difference anyway, think its ridiculous tbh. what she said is pretty mild.

hinault

OutlawPete wrote: »

Then why did you say she was unprofessional?

With that comment you had me thinking she spoke out of turn.

For instance, I have heard Ryan Tubridy slagging off people without getting reprimanded (sure he called Michael Jackson a freak one time - could be wrong).

Podge and Rodge do it all the time also.

What so different here?

I think all presenters should desist from expressing their own views.

As a listener, I am interested in listening to the content instead of listening to the presenters view/opinion about the content.

If you see what I mean.

OutlawPete

Rabies wrote: »

You should check out the reported posts forum and see what the good people of AH kick up about and want censored.

Has anything I have ever said come up in said forum?

Or is there a Mod oath of silence you have taken

m@cc@

OutlawPete wrote: »

Has anything I have ever said come up in said forum?

Or is there a Mod oath of silence you have taken

Where's the reported posts forum? I'm intrugued.

sesna

I remember thinking it was unusual for her to air her views in
such an unprofessional manner when I heard that broadcast last November.

Not a fan of Byrne, she comes across as very self-opinionated . Alot of her interviews turn out to be damp squibs.

Last Friday, she really took the spokesperson for B&B Ireland to task when they admitted hotels do have the advantage of offering anonymity compared with B&B's, and continued commenting after the interview how she couldn't believe they would admit such a thing - scoop of the year there Claire.

Also when questioning Sister Marianne O'Connor, following the publication of the Ryan report, Byrnes killer question was "I am just wondering how you would see Jesus Christ reacting today, if he was walking the earth today, how would he deal with this, and would he deal with it the way you're dealing with it this morning? ". Cue six seconds of silence from Sr Marianne before sighing and saying "I dont know how to answer that really", which answered it perfectly.

OutlawPete

hinault wrote: »

If you see what I mean.

I do see and I agree.

I hate newspapers telling me what a monster someone is, or declaring a person EVIL, as if I can't decide for myself.

However, if someone is employed for their opinion like Vincent Browne for instance, then they are being professional by expressing it, are they not?

OutlawPete

m@cc@ wrote: »

Where's the reported posts forum? I'm intrugued.

Hidden from our meager eyes .. :cool:

IrishManSaipan

Claire Byrne is an avid supporter of mass immigration and has labeled any dissenters as racists. I hope she gets the bullet and is replaced by a Pole.

Whats good for the goose.....

m@cc@

OutlawPete wrote: »

Hidden from our meager eyes .. :cool:

****in' tease, I was looking forward to reading through that until 5. :mad:

As regards to Susan Boyle, I don't know why it is acceptable to call her this and that. She obviously has some level of mental retardation (and that's not a jibe), you can tell from hearing her speak. I just wonder when it became acceptable to label those who are less able than ourselves as a freak.

Jordan Berbatov

m@cc@ wrote: »

****in' tease, I was looking forward to reading through that until 5. :mad:

As regards to Susan Boyle, I don't know why it is acceptable to call her this and that. She obviously has some level of mental retardation (and that's not a jibe), you can tell from hearing her speak. I just wonder when it became acceptable to label those who are less able than ourselves as a freak.

When Simon Cowell put them on TV:pac:

sesna

Doc wrote: »

Freak: A thing or occurrence that is markedly unusual or irregular

A 48 year old unknown unattractive woman who’s main experience of singing came from singing in her local Catholic Church choir, and in karaoke performances at pubs. Becomes the winner of a hugely popular television program and sells huge amounts of records world wide.

Freak seams like an accurate description to me.

Very scientific definition of what freak means - "markedly unusual or irregular".

Bynre had some pathetic piece in the Herald trying to explain herself along the same lines, and finished her article by saying -
"I would respectfully suggest that they ought to take greater offence at the music bosses who continue to run a vulnerable woman through the mill and have compromised her mental health as a result ".

The only problem is Byrne obvious meant her use of the world freak in a derogatory sense as evidenced from what she said in full - "she annoys me. I cant listen to her or watch her. She does my head in. The whole thing, she's a freak show, shes a freak... shes not right in the head...it's because she's a freak that she's up there " - Yes Claire, you're obviously very empathetic toward Boyle and concerned about her mental health.

Minstrel27

Claire Byrne is the reason why I refuse to listen to Newstalk in the mornings. Opinionated twit.

Is it good for presenters on a news program to air their views? Of course it's not. For an example, look at FOX News and their opinion giving bull****.

IrishManSaipan

m@cc@ wrote: »

As regards to Susan Boyle, I don't know why it is acceptable to call her this and that. She obviously has some level of mental retardation (and that's not a jibe), you can tell from hearing her speak. I just wonder when it became acceptable to label those who are less able than ourselves as a freak.

I wouldnt call her a lesser person just because she is not the sharpest knive in the drawer or particularly good looking. I consider myself relatively good looking and of average intelligence, but I have no talent that would make me stand out from the crowd. Unlike Boyle, who has an unbelievable singing voice.

What talent has Byrne that would compare with Boyles singing voice?

m@cc@

IrishManSaipan wrote: »

What talent has Byrne that would compare with Boyles singing voice?

She is a bit of a roide. :pac:

ballsymchugh

m@cc@ wrote: »

She obviously has some level of mental retardation (and that's not a jibe), you can tell from hearing her speak.

some scottish accents aren't that bad!!

as regards the original question, no, no one in the media should be able to say something personal like that without the subjected person having the right to reply. susan boyle is hardly going to find out about claire byrne at all.

and as we saw recently, when the reply comes in, the person who had the original opinion usually ends up being shown up. i'm pretty sure kevin myers didn't expect ronan o'gara to write in complaining about his piece on the rugby team. myers subsequent reply was pathetic.

IrishManSaipan

m@cc@ wrote: »

She is a bit of a roide. :pac:

Shes caked in Mac make up.

sesna

ballsymchugh wrote: »

and as we saw recently, when the reply comes in, the person who had the original opinion usually ends up being shown up. i'm pretty sure kevin myers didn't expect ronan o'gara to write in complaining about his piece on the rugby team. myers subsequent reply was pathetic.

I think O'Gara just highlighted that Myers article had stung him by writing in such a reply, especially considering Myers deliberately provolks people to get such a reaction. O'Gara probably still sore about this article also, and should stick to rugby and gambling.

OutlawPete

The only Byrne I listen to on the Radio, is Gay Byrne .. good to have him back, if only for the odd hour.

Hearing his voice on the radio reminds me of being in bed as a Teen while doing a Ferris Bueller :cool:

'Excira and Delira' I was to be on the bounce.

IrishManSaipan

sesna wrote: »

I think O'Gara just highlighted that Myers article had stung him by writing in such a reply, especially considering Myers deliberately provolks people to get such a reaction. O'Gara probably still sore about this article also, and should stick to rugby and gambling.

Heres why O'Gara did what he did.

Now, men, Sinn Fein have had all the sport up to the present, and we are going to have the sport now. The police are not in sufficient strength to do anything to hold their barracks. This is not enough for as long as we remain on the defensive, so long will Sinn Fein have the whip hand. We must take the offensive and beat Sinn Fein at its own tactics...If a police barracks is burned or if the barracks already occupied is not suitable, then the best house in the locality is to be commandeered, the occupants thrown into the gutter. Let them die there—the more the merrier. Should the order ("Hands Up") not be immediately obeyed, shoot and shoot with effect. If the persons approaching (a patrol) carry their hands in their pockets, or are in any way suspicious-looking, shoot them down. You may make mistakes occasionally and innocent persons may be shot, but that cannot be helped, and you are bound to get the right parties some time. The more you shoot, the better I will like you, and I assure you no policeman will get into trouble for shooting any man.


Col. Smith- 1920.



He was plugged a month later.

happyfriday

Would someone have a link to that Kevin and Ronan stuff?

stovelid

It shouldn't be censored imo.

That's not to say that it's a nice thing to say on air about somebody though.

walshb

Osu wrote: »

She's not a freak. She's big boned. And Ugly. And wretched. And minging. And extremely ugly.

Hey, a simple "I don't find her attractive" would have sufficed. Why the need to be so forceful and malicious with your comments? Just wondering!

moonpurple

I agree with complainent
wrong to call the lady a freak

her version of wild horses which you might find on youtube... remarkable

claire the presenter grumpy from early morning schedule

walshb

stovelid wrote: »

It shouldn't be censored imo.

That's not to say that it's a nice thing to say on air about somebody though.

I am not pro censorship, but in radio and tv, there does have to be some standards, rules and guidelines. I think Byrne was out of order on this one. Maybe Gerry Ryan needs a little of what Byrne got.

It's not good enough to simply use the argument, "If you don't like it, don't listen or look or read."

mike65

Had Clair Byrne been born in a previous time and place she'd have aspired to being a Mad Men style Hamptons "party girl", and like such women she has an opinion on everything that no one wants to hear really.

AttackThePoster

Claire Byrne rules.

Thank this post if you agree, which I'm sure you will.

genericguy

IrishManSaipan wrote: »

Claire Byrne is an avid supporter of mass immigration and has labeled any dissenters as racists.

yes, but she's a ride, so i personally would forgive her any transgressions, and then I would give her my pole.

Dudess

She meant Susan Boyle is famous in the first place because she was a bit of a laughing stock, and she was exploited by Britain's Got Talent (anyone good-looking or even average-looking would have been given the make-up treatment and non dowdy clothes) - those were the real nasty ones, not Claire Byrne. Her comment was not meant as an insult, say, along the lines of:

Osu wrote: »

She's not a freak. She's big boned. And Ugly. And wretched. And minging. And extremely ugly.

Her voice is good, but it's not utterly ASTOUNDING. I think it's hilarious how people who jeered at her suddenly felt sorry when they heard her voice... because of course it would have been ok to jeer at her if her voice wasn't good.

geeky

Dudess wrote: »

She meant Susan Boyle is famous in the first place because she was a bit of a laughing stock, and she was exploited by Britain's Got Talent (anyone good-looking or even average-looking would have been given the make-up treatment and non dowdy clothes) - those were the real nasty ones, not Claire Byrne. Her comment was not meant as an insult, say, along the lines of:

You're right in saying that they're the genuinely evil/exploitative ones. Claire Byrne is just witless.

Byrne she only took the moral high ground about her exploitation, though, after her nasty little original comment came back to bite her. I'm normally against censorship, but the idea that she should just slag someone off as a 'freak' without anyone saying boo would be depressing.

Claire Byrne is a limited journalist/presenter who has had a platform for way too long. As a result, she's become convinced that her frequently inane views are somehow worth more than anyone else's. I call it the Sindo Syndrome.