RTBF cleared over two-minute delay on Trump's inauguration

Belgium's French-speaking broadcasting regulator, the Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel (CSA), has dismissed several complaints after public broadcaster RTBF aired the inauguration of American president Donald Trump with a two-minute delay.

The delay drew complaints of censorship from some, but CSA said a two-minute deferral did not constitute such a claim.

“RTBF did not commit a manifest error of assessment in the application of the legislation and its management contract,” the CSA concluded.

“The fact of providing a live or deferred broadcast is a matter for the editorial freedom of the publisher, who has explained his choices in a transparent manner.

"In the view of the broadcaster, the slight delay may be regarded as a precautionary principle that it has put in place in the light of the legislation to which it is subject and in the light of its missions and values as defined in its management contract."

The CSA did say, however, that the complaints could raise an ethical issue and referred them to the Council for Journalistic Ethics (CDJ).