Radio Applauded Over Donnelly (Press, 6 October 1989)

On 6 October 1989, the Broadcasting Tribunal in Wellington expressed its support for Radio Pacific in Auckland, commending the station for resisting efforts by the Credo Society to have talkback host Father Felix Donnelly removed from the air. The tribunal's judgment addressed complaints made by the society's secretary, Mrs Barbara Faithfull, which originated two years prior. It was noted that both the current managing director, Mr Derek Lowe, and his predecessor, Mr Gordon Dryden, had taken a firm stance against what the tribunal characterised as anti-democratic and suppressive attitudes presented by the conservative Christian group. The complaints primarily centred around Radio Pacific's refusal to allow the Credo Society a chance to respond to criticisms made by talkback callers during broadcasts on 21 and 28 June. The tribunal found the complaints to be unpersuasive and ruled against them, stating that they could not be upheld. Mrs Faithfull had labelled the criticisms directed at her as false and malicious. However, the tribunal reviewed a newsletter that was a point of contention in one of the calls and described it as featuring character assassination, denigration, and guilt by association, which they regarded as propaganda tactics. The tribunal was particularly concerned about the Credo Society's apparent aim to misuse the complaints process to harass Radio Pacific to the point of necessitating the removal of Father Donnelly from his position. Additionally, the tribunal highlighted improper actions, including attempts to jam Radio Pacific's switchboards during Father Donnelly’s show, hampering the station’s operations. The tribunal noted that Mrs Faithfull’s failure to denounce these activities raised significant questions about the society’s credibility. Overall, the Broadcasting Tribunal's ruling signalled a robust defence of free speech and the independence of broadcasting against pressures from organised groups.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand