A complaint against a Carte Blanche programme about the high fees charged by veterinarians has been dismissed by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of SA (BCCSA).<\/p>\n
“Complaints that a representative overview was not provided in a Carte Blanche programme that dealt with the fees of veterinarians [is] not upheld,” the commission said in a statement on Monday.<\/p>\n
“It was found that the reasonable viewer would have seen the programme as informative and that, in any case, the veterinarians interviewed clearly explained fee structures.”<\/p>\n
The ruling was made on November 13, and it was not clear when the programme was aired.<\/p>\n
The SA Veterinary Council (SAVC) complained that the programme gave a skewed picture of the situation and that a wider, more representative group of veterinarians should have been interviewed.<\/p>\n
Complaints from other veterinarians were also received by the commission, but some were not accepted as they came after the required 30-day period.<\/p>\n
M-Net contended that it had acted within its editorial prerogative by electing to interview Johannesburg veterinarians, and by concentrating on the allegedly exorbitant fees charged by them.<\/p>\n
Carte Blanche also interviewed the president of the SAVC.<\/p>\n
“In the result we have come to the conclusion that M-Net did not contravene the broadcasting code, and that the SAVC’s good name has not been sullied — the saving aspect having been the president’s clarification regarding fees charged,” the commission said.<\/p>\n
SABC mess continues<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n New DStv Explora Telkom ADSL bundle unveiled<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n