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Making A Splash
Live RTÉ report about flooding interrupted by water protesters
“We’re going to leave it there, some shenanigans going on behind you there.”
A LIVE RTÉ report was interrupted this evening after water protesters holding banners stood behind the reporter.
Midlands correspondent Ciaran Mullooly was reporting live from Athlone for the Six One News, where there is currently no shortage of water as the River Shannon is at record levels.
Homes face the threat of further flooding as more rainfall is forecast.
Two men wearing high-vis jackets entered the shot holding posters that read ‘Sink The Water Charges’ under a heading of ‘Boycott’.
The cameraman zoomed in further to hide the two men from view, until presenter Sharon Ní Bheoláin ended the live report by saying:
We’re going to leave it there, some shenanigans going on behind you there.
The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland previously rejected seven complaints about an incident on RTÉ’s Six One News when presenter Bryan Dobson called the Ballyhea protestors “idiots”.
The BAI acknowledged that Dobson “could have handled the situation in a better manner”, but ruled that he did not breach rules on objectivity and impartiality.
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