RTE is remaining silent after more than 40 complaints were made to the broadcaster over Dave Fanning’s comments in the wake of Christy Dignam’s death.
The RTE DJ has been slammed by Aslan fans for his "inappropriate comments" he made about the late singer last week just a day after his death. Speaking on Claire Byrne’s RTE Radio 1 show, Fanning told how Christy – who died last Tuesday after a 10-year battle with cancer – "blew it royally" when it came to the band’s success because of his substance abuse.
The conversation sparked outrage amongst listeners, with RTE confirming on Monday that they had received four formal complaints and a further 37 emails giving negative feedback about the interview. A spokesman for RTE said: "RTE has received 4 formal complaints and 37 emails and calls to the RTÉ Information Office giving negative feedback in relation to Dave Fanning's comments about Christy Dignam. We have no further comment."
The Dignam family and Aslan have also decided not to comment on Fanning's remarks, while requests for comment to the radio DJ went unanswered on Monday. On Wednesday morning, Claire asked Fanning, who hosted Aslan during one of his Fanning Sessions back in the '80s, what he remembered about the band during that time, to which Dave responded that even though this is a "time for eulogising", the Finglas singer "blew it".
Read more: Dave Fanning slammed for 'inappropriate' Christy Dignam comments
Answering Claire’s question, the rock DJ, who has interviewed hundreds of artists, said: "I mean, there are two things there. First of all, I wouldn't have the same relationship as Imelda or Francis there, because I'm a bit more like Ronan.
"I never hung around with him and I didn't know Aslan as much as maybe, you know, I probably should have, but in the early days, yeah, they started in the early '80s or so one of the things was to get a Fanning Session. You know, it's public service broadcasting, we don't deserve praise for it, we should just do it. And we did it for 400 bands over 10 years.
"The point about that is when Aslan did their session near the beginning, they were so pleased and so proud and so like, ‘Wow, this is a rung on the ladder that we have now reached, we can also use this as a demo tape for record companies'."
He added: "Then they got that kind of deal and they were with the record company, they brought out an album and they did well with the single This Is and all that happened. And then I know this is a time for eulogising, but I don't want to deify the guy, either.
"He blew it royally and he would say later on that, you know, 'because of that I was abused at the age of six by a neighbour, and this whole of my life for ages so I filled it not by trying to get high with heroin, but just by filling it with heroin to keep myself away from the memory of it.'
"I remember saying to him, ‘Are you sure about that now Christy? Are you sure you're not trying to pull the wool over my eyes?’
"So look, you can look at it that way, if you like, that's what I'm saying. Basically, what I'm saying is you have two things about people who go on heroin, get rid of them or doing the best you can with them.
"He just blew it. He left the band for five or six years. It was Dignam and Goff after that, with Conor Goff who was a kind of a light guy, he was a fun guy, Conor, and it made him you know, I think realise I can get out on the stage and not be stupid.
"He came back then, a bunch of years later with Aslan and they had the biggest hit of all but it kind of went downhill after that in terms of major success.
"They really were the band for the people. The gigs - they played every gig around the country. You wouldn't believe the places. All the time from Bundoran to Ballybunion to Bunclody, everywhere and they were really at one with the audience.
"I don't necessarily think that's always a good thing. I like a bit of mystique but it worked for them.
"They were really good at it, they got on well and the five guys, or four guys on stage were the same as the audience...
"Billy is the one who really kept the glue together, he was the one who kept the band together. They had a lot of fights and things went wrong, I think it maybe could have gone a bit better if they just kept their heads together."
Fanning also said that, in his opinion, Aslan "never made it outside of Ireland" and that "they didn't mean a thing elsewhere".
"I mean, what is 'made it'? A residency at the Baggot in Dublin, a gig at the 3Arena, the five nights in 1999 that they did at Vicar Street and all that. That's brilliant 'made it'. That's fantastic.
"I'll tell you what, they released six albums. I wouldn't know one song on the last three albums. I really wouldn't. They just became the band who played loads of gigs in Ireland, Monday to Friday and as Billy would always say ‘it's better than working’. Yet he's working very hard at the same time... They just should've done more but didn't."
Also on Dignam, Fanning stated: "Somebody said: 'I've never seen a better frontman.' I have. I've seen much better frontmen but that's the way it is, even in Irish bands.
"I thought Aslan was great. I thought Christy was great but I do think the demons were just as strong."
Fanning’s comments caused outrage – with one of the complaints to RTE from proud Dubliner, Aaron McAllorum who lodged the complaint with the national broadcaster on Monday under the new Online Safety and Media Regulation Act.
In his complaint, he said: "Dear RTE, I wish to lodge a formal complaint in respect of the content/interview and comments made by Dave Fanning broadcast by RTE radio in relation to the late Christy Dignam on the Claire Byrne radio show.
"I cite section 46j 1 (a) of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022: 46J (1) A broadcaster shall not broadcast, and a provider of an audiovisual on-demand media service shall not make available in a catalogue of the service – (a) anything which may reasonably be regarded as causing harm or undue offence."
Mr McAllorum also spoke to The Irish Mirror and he said: "When I heard the comments I felt compelled to file a complaint with RTÉ.
"The remarks were unnecessary on so many levels. Mr Fanning should reflect deeply on his words."
His comments received widespread backlash online, with many social media users slamming the "inappropriate" remarks.
One person posted: "When I die please be kinder than Dave Fanning was about Christy Dignam."
Musician and housing activist Martin Leahy wrote: "Dave Fanning should apologise for that radio piece this morning. His account of his response to Christy Dignam's story of abuse was horrible."
Another added: "Jesus that Dave Fanning is an awful yoke. I'm not one for saying someone is great when they weren't just because they're dead but if that was his opinion of Christy Dignam why go on national radio at all."
One more added: "Bloody hell! Dave Fanning’s comments during the tribute to Christy Dignam on Claire Byrne’s radio show were awful. If he thought so little of Christy & Aslan, why did he agree to be interviewed? Poor form Dave. Poor form."
While another posted alongside a clip of the segment: "The Dave Fanning contribution at the end of this segment (that was supposed to be a tribute to Christy Dignam) was bizarrely mean-spirited and inappropriate for the moment."
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