From the vault - Earth Hour - WWF- Counting heads, shoulders, knees and toes

7.00 News – 29 March 2008
THE COMPLAINT
A viewer questioned the accuracy of figures provided in reports about the participation rate of households in Earth Hour.
THE RESPONSE
The ABC acknowledged that two distinct figures given for the participation rates in Earth Hour in Sydney in 2007 were both incorrect. The figure which should have been quoted was 2.2 million. The report should also have highlighted the fact that this figure was supplied by the company AMR Interactive who were engaged by Earth Hour organisers to conduct a poll on participation rates. The ABC also acknowledged that the statement “„hundreds and thousands of Sydney homes had been plunged into darkness for Earth Hour” was an estimate and should not have been broadcast. The figure of 6 million Australian participants, quoted in the news bulletin of the following night, was derived from Earth Hour organisers the WWF Australia. The ABC acknowledged that the figure should have been attributed to the WWF.

http://www.abc.net.au/corp/pubs/documents/public_report_apr-jun_2008.pdf

"From the Vault" - digging up past corrections and clarifications from the ABC archives.