RTE admits the skit did not meet its broadcast standards; controversial clip will be removed from Player

DUBLIN: RTE has confirmed that it will remove the controversial skit from the RTE player and will issue a public statement and apology acknowledging that its broadcast did not meet the standards.

The skit, presented by news reader Aenghus Mac Grianna, faced a lot of criticism for describing God as the latest person to be involved in the current sexual harassment scandal.

RTE initially claimed that the skit depicting God as a rapist was satirical in nature, but later acknowledged that it was not in line with the code.

The broadcaster’s apology and the decision to remove the clip from its player came after the RTE Editorial Standards Board found that the skit had violated its own and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland’s (BAI) rules.

The national broadcaster will also request a further review of how the sketch was broadcast.

Director General of RTÉ, Dee Forbes said: “We accept the findings of the Editorial Standards Board that this sketch was not compliant with our own guidelines or with our obligations under the relevant codes.”

“On behalf of RTÉ, I fully apologise for that. We will now review the processes involved and engage constructively with the BAI,” he added.