It is no secret that the National Rugby League is against the implementation of pokie reform. As such, the organization has gone to great lengths to inform the public about the downfalls of the initiative. In addition to several media campaigns, the league also took to television recently to get its point across – but the tactic backfired.
During a recent National Rugby League game, commentators Ray Warren and Phil Gould presented some information about the current debate over poker machine reform. Their presentation included infographics and other interesting forms of media to communicate their stance on the issue. The presenters also called the policy “stupid” and “rubbish”, claiming that it would do more harm than good for the Australian public.
Shortly after the airing of the game, several complaints were filed. Viewers believed that, in addition to including slanderous content, the presentation contained confidential government information. In response, Channel 9, on which the program aired, stated that the data presented did not reflect the opinions of the station. It wasn’t long before the charade was exposed, however.
After a media investigation, Nine admitted that Warren’s and Gould’s comments did, indeed, reflect the station’s stance on the subject. As a result, an inquiry has been launched to determine whether or not Nine breached the conditions of its licensing agreement.
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