Pederasty (radio program)

Pederasty (radio broadcast)

Company type	Radio program episode
Industry	Broadcasting
Founded	14 July 1975
Founder	Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Headquarters	Australia
Products	Radio broadcast

Pederasty was a broadcast aired on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Radio National on 14 July 1975. The episode, part of the series Lateline (distinct from the later ABC TV program of the same name), was hosted by Richard Neville and produced by Allan Ashbolt. It included an open interview with three men in their thirties who confessed to engaging in sexual activities with boys, alongside a teenage boy who reported involvement since the age of 12. The ABC characterized the program as addressing "Pederasty, defined by the Penguin English Dictionary as the homosexual relationship between a man and a boy," recognizing the sensitive nature of the topic.

The broadcast sparked strong public responses. Numerous letters to The Sydney Morning Herald condemned the men for seemingly "laughing" about seducing boys, while others acknowledged Neville’s efforts to expose the exploitative aspects involved. The recording was subsequently handed over to law enforcement by Fred Nile, who opposed the content. Following the airing, Peter Nixon from the then-National Country Party demanded a public investigation into the ABC. Producer Ashbolt defended the episode, framing it as part of a wider movement to address subjects previously considered taboo. Although ABC chairman Richard Downing had not listened to the program prior to its broadcast, he asserted that the ABC’s mission was to educate listeners so they could be "forewarned and forearmed." He later commented, "Generally, men will have sexual relations with young boys, and this is information that society should be aware of."

In response, the ABC implemented guidelines concerning language use but rejected imposing further restrictions on content. Downing encouraged employees to be "adventurous and imaginative (but not) titillating." In 2016, Liberal senator Eric Abetz questioned whether the ABC would issue an apology for broadcasting Pederasty. The corporation declined, affirming that coverage of child abuse remains a valid news subject under its Editorial and Charter obligations.