NEWS must apologise to journalist Chris Kenny for sex-with-dog skit

 LAURA SPERANZA  THE DAILY TELEGRAPH  JUNE 04, 2014 12:00AM

The Australian's Chris Kenny arrives at court / Picture: Renee Nowytarger Source:

THE Chaser team will be forced to apologise to columnist Chris Kenny for a lewd skit that depicted him having sex with a dog.

A comprehensive on-air apology will be broadcast on ABC1 at 9pm tonight, nine months after the skit went to air. It is part of formal defamation settlement that includes paying all legal costs and some damages to Mr Kenny, according to a report in today’s .

The ABC and The Chaser team had vowed to contest the matter in court, backed by the findings of an internal review which found the skit met the ABC’s editorial standards for .

The Australian newspaper columnist started defamation proceedings against the ABC, Chaser presenter and production company Giant Dwarf after they refused to apologise for the skit that was broadcast on The Hamster Decides in September last year. ABCs managing director Mark Scott made a personal apology to Kenny in April, saying: “I have come to the view with the director of television that the ABC should not have put the skit to air.”

As part of the settlement, the Chaser team will not be permitted to republish the material or make public statements that detract from the settlement.

Kenny said he not only sued for defamation because of the offensive nature of the skit, but because he believed it was trying to “silence him”.

The Chaser’s and Andrew Hansen / Picture: Helen Melville Source: Supplied