FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
All FAQ's ›The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) is an independent Crown entity that oversees the broadcasting standards regime on behalf of New Zealanders. We determine complaints, oversee and develop broadcasting standards, and engage with broadcasters and the public to help people understand and apply the broadcasting standards system, our decisions and our research.
For more information see What we do.
You can complain about any programme broadcast in New Zealand on TV or radio. This covers:
- Free-to-air TV programmes
- Pay TV programmes
- Radio programmes
- Programmes viewed or listened to on-demand (Only if you can give details of previous TV or radio broadcast of the content and lodge your complaint within 20 working days of that broadcast)
- Election advertisements on TV or radio (during election periods)
If the programme you are complaining about was broadcast on or after 1 July 2022, you can complain to the BSA about the following issues under the new Broadcasting Standards Codebook:
- offensive and disturbing content
- children’s interests
- promotion of illegal or antisocial behaviour
- discrimination and denigration
- balance
- accuracy
- privacy
- fairness
To help you decide which is most relevant to your concerns see our guide to choosing a standard. The standards are explained in more detail in the Broadcasting Standards Codebook.
You can also complain to us about election programmes, which come under a separate code.