The Tribunal considered a complaint that the broadcast on Carte Blanche of a controversial issue of public importance, namely captive bred lions, was one sided and amounted to a ”woeful condemnation of the CBL farming industry in SA”. According to written argument by the Complainant he expected of the Tribunal to understand that the animal rights movement is detrimental to nature conservation in SA. The Tribunal is not authorised to consider the merits or demerits of viewpoints, but has the sole task of deciding whether a reasonable effort had been made by the producer to present opposing points of view on a contraversial issue of public importance. This should be judged in the context of the freedom of expression of the Broadcaster which includes a free discretion to edit a programme. The Tribunal also affirmed the principle that a presenter of a programme may express his/her own view on a matter. After considering all aspects of the broadcast, the Tribunal concluded that clause 28.3 of the Code was not contravened and the complaint was not upheld.
