The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has once again ruled against The Kyle & Jackie O Show, handing down fresh breach findings against its Sydney and Melbourne licensees for content aired in the second half of 2024.
After investigations into multiple episodes between August and December last year, ACMA found that KIIS 101.1 in Melbourne committed three breaches of decency rules, along with a failure to comply with complaint-handling obligations.
KIIS 106.5 in Sydney was found to have breached decency rules four times, and also fell short on complaint-handling.
Content under scrutiny
The regulator’s investigations centred on segments that ACMA said went beyond what the community would accept.
These included two episodes of a guessing game involving recordings of staff members urinating, where hosts made graphic remarks about genitals, menstruation and oral sex.
Other flagged content included a game where a contestant provided an offensive description of a sexual position, and a segment featuring lewd discussions about masturbation and pornography websites.
These findings come on top of three earlier breaches already recorded in 2025, bringing the total to 12 for the year to date.
ACMA signals tougher enforcement
ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said the latest rulings point to deeper problems with the program. “The Kyle & Jackie O Show has repeatedly and deliberately aired content that is vulgar, sexually explicit and deeply offensive,” she said.
“Even after previous breaches and the employment of additional censors required by the ACMA, the program continues to broadcast content that is unacceptable to the community,” she continued.
“ARN as the licensee of these stations appears unwilling or unable to rein in these presenters. As a result, the ACMA is currently considering enforcement actions so that ARN takes full responsibility for the content broadcast on their stations.”
What comes next
With ACMA weighing enforcement options, ARN is under increasing pressure to demonstrate how it will manage content standards on its flagship program.
The show, despite its controversies, remains one of the most commercially successful in Australian radio – a tension that has long complicated both regulatory oversight and network management.