Perth radio station Mix94.5 have defended airing advertisements from the Marriage Alliance arguing that it’s important to support freedom of speech.
Mix 94.5 have answered listeners posting to the station’s Facebook page.
The cut and paste response reads:
“Thank you for your feedback. While many of us personally support marriage equality we also support freedom of speech. And that’s not an excuse – that’s a justified reason. Any organisation is entitled to conduct an advertising campaign stating their case, provided it adheres to the codes of advertising. Those codes include the prevention of wording that encourages hate mongering and discrimination. And these commercials – while controversial (and not necessarily our view) do not cross that line in their scripting. We strongly believe each individual should retain the right to make up their own mind. Hope we haven’t lost you as a listener.”
Speaking to OUTinPerth this morning a representative of the station said they had nothing to say beyond their Facebook response.
Members of the Perth LGBTI community have called on their friends and allies to boycott top rating radio station MIX 94.5 after the station began playing advertisements from the newly formed Marriage Alliance.
The station is part of the Southern Cross Austereo network alongside sister station hit92.9 and home to popular the breakfast show ‘Clairsy, Shane and Kimba’ and the Drive program ‘Lisa and Pete’.
A Facebook group highlighting the advertisements was formed by local DJ Cinnamon and has quickly begun attracting followers. Cinnamon has said she doesn’t want people to boycott the station, but would like the station to reconsider playing the advertisements.
TV stations Channel Seven and Ten have refused to run the advertisements. Channel Nine has been criticised by viewers for playing the advertisements, but a representative of Channel Nine Perth has told OUTinPerth that the advertisements are not playing in the Perth market.
Pay TV operator Foxtel has also come under fire since they started playing the advertisements.
“As a media company we believe in free speech, therefore we do not believe it is appropriate to refuse the other side in this debate the opportunity to put its views forward, even if they don’t align with our views on the matter,” Foxtel answered viewers on social media.
“We are very strong supporters of marriage equality and have made this publicly known. In the near future, you will also see ads pro marriage equality.”
Who is the Marriage Alliance
The Marriage Alliance is a new organisation launched last Sunday that argues that Australians have not considered all the implications of allowing same sex couples to wed.
In a statement announcing their launch official spokesperson Sophie York said Australians need to hear opposing arguments against allowing same sex couples to wed.
“The powerful SSM activists is entitled in a democracy to state their view, but it is also the right of mainstream Australia to hear opposing arguments and to express their opinion without fear,” according to Sophie York, spokesperson for the newly formed Marriage Alliance.
“The view of the Marriage Alliance is that permitting same-sex couples to marry under a changed Marriage Act would have major consequences not realised or understood by most Australians.
Ms York said Australians need to have a greater discussion about the rights of children, the rights of future generations, sex education, religious freedoms, morality, business and professional regulations, and legal implications resulting from permitting same-sex marriage.
Cinnamon is an employee of Angelstan Plty Ltd the company that owns OUTinPerth.
And we are free to exercise our right to reject companies that make their income from promoting homophobia and misinformation. That is what i will be doing.
And we are free to exercise our right to reject companies that make their income from promoting homophobia and misinformation. That is what i will be doing.