FM104 face backlash for comments about child caller

‘The Strawberry Alarm Clock’ presenters Jim Jim and Nobby have faced backlash after making comments about a four year old child on-air.

The child, who has additional needs, sent a voice note to FM104 during a kids-focused feature. When his message was brought to air, the presenters said he sounded like he’d been hit with a pillow and been staying out till early in the morning.

Kellie Sweeney, the mother of the child, posted online about her distress at hearing the comments. She mentioned that it has caused her concern “about his self-esteem in future because of this carry on.”

After the incident, Sweeney contacted the show to express her upset. She explained online that they offered an unsatisfactory apology as “apparently they didn’t consciously or unconsciously mock my child.”

A spokesperson for the station has since said, “FM104 would like to apologise for making light of a voice message from a young caller this morning.

“During The Strawberry Alarm Clock’s Kids in the Car feature, one of our presenters made a joke about not being able to hear a voice message we received from a young boy, who we later learned has additional needs.

“There was no intention to cause deliberate upset or harm, but today we made a mistake and have begun a robust review of our internal processes.”

‘Kids in the Car’ has been running for more than a decade on the station. Although the breakfast show is typically podcasted, a catch-up version of today’s programme was not made available.



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