Source: www.timeslive.co.za
SOUTH AFRICA, October 26, 2010: An East Coast Radio comedy program caused a stir among some South African Hindus. The broadcaster said it was no use killing Hindus because they “keep coming back”, a sentence that constituted hate speech, the Broadcasting Complaints Commission has ruled. The ruling was despite the fact that the August 16 broadcast – a mock “sermon” by comedian John Vlismas – was clearly a skit.
Responding to the complaints, East Coast Radio denied the broadcast constituted religious hatred or incitement to cause harm. The commission received complaints from six HIndus, two of whom were under the impression that the skit was a real Christian cleric delivering a genuine sermon.
The radio station told the commission it believed it had erred by broadcasting the material, and that it had cancelled the slot, suspended “the contributor” and apologized on air, in a press release and individually to listeners who complained.