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ANZ Bank cuts Radio LIVE advertising after rape comments

Thursday 7 November 2013, 7:36PM

By NP Linked Taranaki

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LATEST: Numerous companies including ANZ Bank, AA, Yellow Pages, infonews.co.nz and Freeview have suspended advertising with Radio LIVE after rape comments were made on air.

ANZ Bank New Zealand is informing ANZ customers that they have cut advertising from Radio LIVE after a comment that was made about a 13 year old girl who was raped.

Willie Jackson and John Tamihere, Radio LIVE presenters implyed that a 13 year old was asking to get raped by what she was wearing.

The duo, who host the station's afternoon show, came under fire following an interview with a friend of a Roast Busters victim on Tuesday.

'Amy' called the show to talk about her friend's alleged rape, and also told the hosts how she was once picked up by the accused after a party. She told them unlike her friend she was not attacked, but abandoned by the Roast Busters in the early hours of the morning.

Jackson and Tamihere turned on 'Amy', questioning her about her own sexual habits and dress sense. Audio of the interview was pulled from the station's website and Jackson and Tamihere read an apology on air the following day.

ANZ Bank said in a statement: "We have decided to suspend our advertising with Radio Live due to comments made by hosts Willie Jackson & John Tamihere concerning a sensitive issue that has been in the media recently."

The statement continues: "While we believe that freedom of speech is an important part of the media, we also believe that it comes with responsibilities & the mark has been overstepped here."

YOUNGSTER MAKES COMMENT TO COUNTDOWN, AS BACKLASH BEGINS

Countdown Supermarkets have made a statement saying they were retaining their contract with the station and that "we support the comments made", this has caused massive backlash for the supermarket with numerous comments being made over social networking sites Facebook & Twitter. 

Vivienne Kent posted to the Countdown Facebook page: "Countdown: You need to withdraw your advertising from RadioLive. You surely must have enough sense to know that by supporting RadioLive financially you are also supporting their DJs Willie Jackson and John Tamihere in their on-air misogyny and rape culture statements? I'm only shopping in New World until you take some action here and publicly condemn rape culture."

It isn't just the adults complaining either, young 16 year old teenager Michael Riley has posted to Countdown saying he can't believe that the supermarket supported such comments. 

"Countdown, I can't believe you would support the comments that an young teenager was 'asking for rape by the way they dress'. You should cut your advertising with Radio LIVE. I am 16 by the way, and I am disgusted that a supermarket would support such comments and keep advertising with Radio LIVE - Pull your advertising. Disgusting." he wrote. 

INFONEWS.CO.NZ/NP Linked STATEMENT: "We have cut ALL advertising with Mediaworks"

From the team at infonews.co.nz and NP Linked- We have cut ALL advertising with Mediaworks New Zealand and will continue to do so until Radio LIVE ends the presenters contacts to air live. 

COMPANIES THAT HAVE STOPPED ADVERTISING ON RADIO LIVE

  • ANZ Bank
  • Yellow Pages & The Yellow Group
  • White Pages
  • AA Insurance 
  • Freeview 
  • infonews.co.nz/NPLinked

 

MAKE AN INFORMAL COMPLAINT TO RADIO LIVE

If you would like to make an informal complaint about Radio Live to MediaWorks NZ please do so by clicking here.