Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Broadcaster quits LGBT radio show over RTÉ demands for balance

Scott De Buitléir said he thought avoiding the issue of the upcoming referendum “made a mockery” of his show.

A BROADCASTER WHO has been presenting LGBT show, The Cosmo, for the RTÉ Pulse digital station for the last six years has announced he will not continue to produce it claiming he has been coming under pressure from management to provide balance ahead of the upcoming referendum on same-sex marriage.

Scott De Buitléir, who has been presenting the show as a volunteer, unpaid, announced his departure from the airwaves in a blog post today, in which he said it became “close to impossible” to host an LGBT radio show while keeping in line with RTÉ’s requirement not to show bias towards either side on the issue.

In conversations with management, he told TheJournal.ie this afternoon, De Buitléir said it was suggested that he “stay silent” on the issue up until the Wednesday before the referendum, when he would host a “carefully planned debate”.

“I felt like I was being silenced, even if it was with the best of intentions”.

Despite trying it for a short while, I eventually couldn’t bear denying that this plan meant missing out on reporting the various events, advocates and news of the Yes campaign – the campaign fighting for the rights of those who The Cosmo was aimed at.

For the 26-year-old, on this issue, “the personal and the professional are intertwined” and he said he felt his show would become “a bit of a farce” if he were to continue hosting it without mentioning the referendum or having guests on from the LGBT groups he had already been interviewing about the issue for years.

There are certain characters that are for the No side that I feel are getting much more air time than they’re due. They might be from small organisations that aren’t representing the majority of people they claim to represent and they’re getting far too much air time and I didn’t want to be adding to it. I couldn’t bring myself to allow someone on an LGBT radio show saying why we shouldn’t be equal.

“I couldn’t bring myself to adding even more illogical hate speech to the airwaves,” he said in his blog post.

De Buitléir made his decision today after a conversation with management in which, he claims, he was reprimanded for failing to clear an interview he did with Minister of State Aodhán Ó Ríordáin with someone in RTÉ before putting it online. He said the interview was about Ó Ríordáin’s experience canvassing for the Yes side and the reactions he was getting and they also discussed the general election.

The broadcaster said he was told the interview was slanted too much in the Yes campaign’s direction and it has since been taken down.

In response to a query from TheJournal.ie, RTÉ did not address De Buitléir’s claims about demands for balance in the LGBT show or that his interview with Ó Ríordáin had been removed because it had not been cleared with management.

Instead, in a statement, Head of RTÉ 2fm Dan Healy said:

“RTÉ confirms that Scott De Buitléir has decided to leave RTÉ Pulse after six years. The Cosmo, presented by Scott De Buitléir, has been part of RTÉ Pulse’s schedule since the station launched in 2008. Scott has played some great dance music over the years. We wish him every success in the future.”

Read: Miss last night’s Prime Time debate? Here’s what people are talking about>

Read: ‘You are a real fa***t’: TV presenter Brendan Courtney receives homophobic hate mail>

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
90 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Rebekah Corbett
    Favourite Rebekah Corbett
    Report
    Aug 14th 2013, 6:39 PM

    Suffering from that bug since early this morning and only now feel like I’m really not going to die. Feel very sorry for anyone already feeling poorly in hospital who gets it

    36
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Warren Collier
    Favourite Warren Collier
    Report
    Aug 14th 2013, 7:01 PM

    Get well soon. Nothing as worse!

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute P O Leary
    Favourite P O Leary
    Report
    Aug 14th 2013, 7:09 PM

    I had it before once and wouldn’t wish it on anybody.
    I didnt know if I had to sit on the toilet or kneel at it.lost allmost a stone in a week. Couldnt even keep grapes down.
    Get well soon.

    20
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Rkmr
    Favourite Rkmr
    Report
    Aug 14th 2013, 7:45 PM

    I got it while 7 months pregnant, not nice at all. Wonder why it’s causing such problems this time of year

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Right Wing Steve ©
    Favourite Right Wing Steve ©
    Report
    Aug 14th 2013, 5:36 PM

    That’s just good advice for anything run by the HSE.

    33
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michele N. Moreira
    Favourite Michele N. Moreira
    Report
    Aug 14th 2013, 5:56 PM

    my friend’s mother makes $83/hour on the computer. She has been without a job for 5 months but last month her check was $21383 just working on the computer for a few hours. Read more on this web site… w­w­w.C­a­n9­9.c­o­m

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Gorman
    Favourite Michael Gorman
    Report
    Aug 14th 2013, 6:09 PM

    Well Kenny might walk in???

    7
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cuddle Flips
    Favourite Cuddle Flips
    Report
    Aug 14th 2013, 8:24 PM

    As a rule, I never complain about people red thumbing comments, but if everyone who red thumbed comments like Michele’s clicked ‘Report this comment’ instead, spam would be a lot less prevalent on The Journal comment threads.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fagan fagan
    Favourite Fagan fagan
    Report
    Aug 14th 2013, 5:58 PM

    What about hospital staff
    Are they somehow immune ?

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Morticia
    Favourite Morticia
    Report
    Aug 14th 2013, 5:34 PM

    First it was Egypt now Mayo, thats the weekend messed up.

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mary Kavanagh
    Favourite Mary Kavanagh
    Report
    Aug 14th 2013, 6:03 PM

    They’ll have to call it the all-year-round vomiting bug now.
    That said I feel sorry for people who have it and those people who can’t make hopital visits or those who can’t receive them.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Monkey Boy
    Favourite Monkey Boy
    Report
    Aug 14th 2013, 7:47 PM

    Stay away from mayo full stop !!

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dublinjonny
    Favourite Dublinjonny
    Report
    Aug 14th 2013, 7:03 PM

    First warned away from Egypt now Mayo …… damit holiday plans ruined

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Luca Costa
    Favourite Luca Costa
    Report
    Aug 14th 2013, 5:19 PM

    In summer? Global warming huh?

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall Donnelly
    Favourite Niall Donnelly
    Report
    Aug 14th 2013, 9:34 PM

    The general should be stay away from Mayo. You might catch something off Enda and end up talking through your ar$e!!! It’s called FG syndrome!!!

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute richardmccarthy
    Favourite richardmccarthy
    Report
    Aug 15th 2013, 12:37 AM

    Why is it just hospitals that get the winter vomiting bug,i have never ever met anyone that caught this bug at home,and im nearly70.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joe Harbison
    Favourite Joe Harbison
    Report
    Aug 15th 2013, 7:11 AM

    Schools, hospitals, hostels, aircraft. Anywhere that groups of people spend time together.
    About 2 days to incubate, 2 days symptomatic, 2 days to clear the virus. Unfortunately people feel so wretched with it thy attend hospital, particularly if they vomit a little blood. The bug is spread by hand mouth and by aerosol and is horribly infectious. Hospital outbreaks make the news, but schools etc are fairly regularly closed by it.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Barry McSweeney
    Favourite Barry McSweeney
    Report
    Aug 14th 2013, 9:35 PM

    Someone should tell the HSE!

    “A Contingency Management group are now requesting that self-referral patients in the border areas of West Sligo and East Mayo – who would normally attend the Emergency Department Sligo -could consider attending Mayo General Hospital.”

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds