Neil Prendiville may face criminal charge following 96FM broadcast

cork | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Thursday October 07, 2004 22:04 by Dave McCarthy - Traveller Visibility Group tvgcork at hotmail dot com 11 Comeragh Park, The Glen, Cork. 021 4503786

Radio chat show host may have gone too far this time

Court in Cork hears reference to irresponsible broadcast facilitated by 96FM. Complaint to Broadcasting Complaints Commission to follow, and file to be sent to the DPP.

The Traveller Visibility Group welcomes the announcement that a file will be sent to the DPP following Neil Prendiville’s morning chat show on 96FM today October 7th.
During the show, Mr. Prendiville facilitated a live broadcast of the intentions of a member of a feuding family, who said he would behead a member of the opposing family. Thousands of shocked listeners heard the live interview which took place in mid morning on Mr. Prendiville’s chat show.
In Court no. 2 of Cork District Court this afternoon, Superintendent Michael O’Loughlin of Gurranabraher Station assured the court that a file regarding the broadcast would be going to the DPP. A shocked court room had heard details of how Mr. Prendiville (who was not named in court) had facilitated the broadcast of material which could have incited and inflamed an already unstable situation. Judge Con O’Leary condemned the broadcast in strong terms, referring both to the responsibilities of a licensed broadcaster, and the possibility that a crime was committed by facilitating the broadcast when the radio station was aware that there was a background of feuding between the two families.
The Traveller Visibility Group was present at the court hearing to observe proceedings as one of the families involved in the feud has historical links with the Traveller community. Earlier, the Traveller Visibility Group objected to the radio station for allowing racist remarks against Travellers by callers to the show.
It is not the first occasion that racist remarks on a 96FM show were allowed go unchallenged. On the last occasion, it was also Mr. Prendiville who failed to challenge racist remarks, or to distance himself and 96FM from them.
The Traveller Visibility Group is preparing a complaint against the Broadcasting Complaints Commission, which requires that every broadcaster must ensure that it does not broadcast anything which may reasonably be regarded as likely to promote or incite to crime. Members of staff and management of the organisation, who monitored the broadcast, are also considering if they will make complaints to Gardaí with a view to pressing criminal charges against Mr. Prendiville under the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act.