TG4 SLAMMED OVER CREESLOUGH SHOW
Regulator ruling partially upholds complaint that it caused distress
A COMPLAINT about a TG4 documentary on the Creeslough blast which killed 10 people has been partially upheld.
Regulator Coimisiun na Mean said Iniuchadh TG4 – An Craoslach, breached the Broadcasting Act 2009 by causing harm/offence when it was broadcast on February 8 last year.
It ruled producers had not sufficiently demonstrated it took due care in broadcasting material which could cause distress, particularly just four months after the tragedy and before a Garda probe was completed.
It also ruled TG4 could have avoided causing distress by consulting bereaved families in advance of its transmission.
The complaint was made by Killian Flanagan on behalf of his sister Aine whose five-year-old daughter Shauna and her partner Robert Garwe, 50, died in the blast at the Applegreen filling station on October 7, 2022.
He claimed certain aspects of the programme were distressing, particularly because the family would not have detailed information until the Garda investigation had concluded.
However, Coimisiun na Mean acknowledged the legitimacy of making and broadcasting a programme about the response of the local community and the impact of the tragedy on the area.
It did not uphold complaints that the programme had breached the BAI code in relation to respect for privacy and protection of the public interest.
Mr Flanagan told RTE’S Liveline he had asked TG4 not to air the programme while the Garda investigation into the explosion was ongoing.
He said it had particularly caused serious distress to his sister when an interviewee claimed he could hear a little girl but could not reach her.
While the programme did not identify who the girl was, Mr Flanagan added his sister believed it might have been Shauna.
He further claimed the broadcast
caused further anguish when someone described the building as collapsing “like a pancake” as such information was not known by his family.
Additionally, Mr Flanagan observed the programme was made without any prior consultation with bereaved families and TG4 ignored his family’s request for information before it was shown on TV.
In response, TG4 told the regulator that the decision to broadcast the programme was not taken lightly.
It explained the documentary was aimed at giving a voice to those who were involved in the immediate aftermath of the explosion at Creeslough, particularly those who assisted in the rescue of people trapped in the debris.
TG4 claimed there had been what it called as “ill-informed and unhelpful commentary” from certain media outlets who had not sought to review the programme before transmission. It claimed this had led to much activity on social media and related distress.
TG4 also stressed the reference to a little girl did not refer or imply in any way it was Mr Flanagan’s niece. It informed the regulator it had received clarification the day after the programme was shown the child had been rescued.
The station said it had promptly notified Mr Flanagan of this detail.
TG4 argued that most people viewing the full programme would have concluded “a sensitive and responsible approach” had been taken.
In addition, it stated viewers were warned in advance that it contained sensitive material, while it also carried a notice at the end of the programme of contact details for a helpline.
TG4 said details about the cause of the explosion was based solely on Garda press releases and that it did not include any examination or commentary on the cause of the blast.
However, Coimisiun na Mean said TG4 had failed to address why the programme did not identify the little girl referenced and why it was not explained that she had survived.
It also said there was no evidence TG4 had consulted bereaved families in the making of the programme which could have mitigated against the possibility of it causing distress.
TG4 could have avoided further distress by consulting with families COIMISIUN NA MEAN ADJUDICATION