Make a complaint Tukuna Mai he Kōamuaamu

This is the process required under the Broadcasting Act 1989. It gives the broadcaster a chance to answer your complaint first and take action, if appropriate. If you’re satisfied with their answer you can choose not to take the complaint further.

If you’re complaining to the broadcaster, you need to make your complaint within 20 working days of the broadcast.

If you’re referring your complaint to the BSA, you must do so within 20 working days of receiving the broadcaster’s decision, or if the broadcaster didn’t respond, within 60 working days of the original broadcast.

For complaints about programmes that have not yet aired, see Can I complain about a programme that hasn’t aired yet?

You must complain to the broadcaster first (unless your complaint is about privacy only or about election programmes, in which case you can send it straight to the BSA). To go through the BSA process, it has to be a ‘formal complaint’.

If you just want to let the broadcaster know your concerns, or it’s not an issue that can come to the BSA, it will be considered an ‘informal complaint’.

Contact details for major broadcasters are here.

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.

If the BSA upholds a complaint and decides a broadcaster has breached standards, there are different orders it may make. See Outcomes & Remedies.

Complaints referred to the BSA will generally be decided within three months. However, timeframes vary depending on complexity, input required from the parties and whether the BSA considers it across two or more meetings. BSA staff will keep you informed of progress.

No. The BSA can only respond to formal complaints about content once it has been broadcast. We can’t take any action before a programme is aired, unless it falls within the BSA’s limited power to stop further programmes in a series.

If you have concerns about a programme before it airs, these are best directed to the broadcaster.