BSA Decisions Ngā Whakatau a te Mana Whanonga Kaipāho

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Summary

A Croatian woman living in New Zealand, who was about to return to Croatia for the

unveiling of a memorial to her murdered father, was interviewed in an item on Holmes

broadcast on TV One at 7.00pm on 21 May. It was suggested on the item that the

woman's father had been killed during the Second World War as a traitor to the

Nationalist cause but that his name had now been cleared.

Mr Letica complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the item

contained factual errors, and that immigrants to New Zealand from that part of the

world had come from Dalmatia, not Croatia. The mistake, he said, had caused anger

and deserved an apology.

Briefly outlining Balkan history, TVNZ maintained that as Dalmatia had consistently

been regarded as a coastal province of Croatia, the item was not inaccurate.

Dissatisfied with TVNZ's response, Mr Letica referred the complaint to the

Broadcasting Standards Authority under s.8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989.

For the reasons below, the Authority declines to determine the complaint.

Decision

The members of the Authority have viewed the item complained about and have read

the correspondence (summarised in the Appendix). In this instance, the Authority

determines the complaint without a formal hearing.

An item on Holmes about a woman about to travel to Croatia for the unveiling of a

monument to her murdered father was introduced with reference to the winegrowers,

fishermen and gum diggers who, in the past, had come to New Zealand from Croatia.

The item also referred to Croatia's fight for freedom from Serbia. It was said that the

father of the woman who was about to travel had been killed during the Second World

War as he was thought to be a sympathiser of the fascists, but had now been cleared

by the authorities in Croatia.

Mr Letica complained to TVNZ that the item contained incorrect information. The

immigrants to New Zealand, he said, had come from Dalmatia, not Croatia; Serbia and

Hrvatska (Croatia) had fought with each other against enemies such as the fascists in

the second world war; and the item had sought to make heroes of people who had

fought against the allies during the Second World War.

TVNZ assessed the complaint against standard G1 of the Television Code of

Broadcasting Practice, which requires broadcasters:

G1   To be truthful and accurate on points of fact.

TVNZ researched Balkan history in some detail, and while acknowledging that the

explanations advanced after this exercise merely skimmed the surface of the

complexities involved, maintained that the item was neither inaccurate nor untruthful.

When he referred his complaint to the Authority, Mr Letica also referred to aspects of

Balkan history, and insisted that the item openly promoted those who had fought

with the fascists during the Second World War. It was an issue of such magnitude, he

said, that the United Nations should ensure that TVNZ was corrected.

Noting that the complaint essentially focussed on peripheral matters referred to in the

item, the Authority considers that the correspondence between Mr Letica and TVNZ

is indicative of the disagreements apparent, and the troubled nature of that part of the

world. It also acknowledges that the immigrants referred to in the item are commonly

said to come from Dalmatia, and are known colloquially as "Dallies". However, given

the tangential nature of this matter, and the debate in the correspondence as to whether

Dalmatia is or was part of Croatia, the Authority is not prepared to reach a decision

on the alleged inaccuracy of this point.

Overall, because the matters raised in the complaint do not deal with the central issue

raised in the item, and because of the complexity of the history of the region, the

Authority considers that it is not appropriate for it to attempt to determine the

complaint alleging factual inaccuracies.

For the reasons above, under s.11(b) of the Broadcasting Act 1989, the Authority

declines in all the circumstances to determine the complaint.

Signed for and on behalf of the Authority

Sam Maling
Chairperson
14 August 1997

Appendix

L Letica's Complaint to Television New Zealand Ltd - 26 May 1997

Mr Letica of Auckland complained to Television New Zealand Ltd about an item

screened on Holmes between 7.00 - 7.30pm on 21 May 1997 which included, he said,

incorrect information.

First, wine growers, fishermen and gum diggers, including his father, came from

Dalmatia which was then part of Austria. They were not from Hrvatska (Croatia).

The name Croatia, he wrote, became more common after 1940 but he did not know the

meaning of it.

Secondly, Hrvatska (Croatia) did not fight for freedom from Serbia. Serbia and

Hrvatska, he wrote, used to help each other against a number of countries, including

the Italian and German fascists.

Thirdly, because of inadequate research, the item had caused anger in trying to

promote and make heroes of people who had fought against the allies during the

Second World War. An apology was sought.

Further Correspondence

As TVNZ's response was no more than an acknowledgment of the letter, on 10 June

1997, Mr Letica referred the complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority.

TVNZ then advised Mr Letica that his letter had not been dealt with at that stage as a

formal complaint. However, it would now be treated as one.

TVNZ's Response to the Formal Complaint - 19 June 1997

Assessing the complaint under standard G1 of the Television Code of Broadcasting

Practice, TVNZ said the item told the story of an Auckland woman's successful

struggle to clear the name of her father who had been shot because it was suspected

that he had betrayed his country. She was travelling to Croatia to see his memorial

unveiled.

TVNZ's Programme Standards Manager (David Edmunds) noted that the complaint

raised historical questions about the Balkans and he said he had checked a number of

sources to ensure that the response was impartial.

On the point regarding Dalmatia, Mr Edmunds stated that Dalmatia was consistently

regarded as a coastal province of Croatia. He acknowledged that most of the

immigrants to New Zealand came from Dalmatia but it was not incorrect to say that

they were from Croatia. Even while Dalmatia (and other parts of Croatia) were under

Austrian rule, the area was known as Croatia. He disagreed that the term Croatia was

new, referring to the fact that there was a Kingdom of Croatia in the 10th century.

Turning to the item's comment about discord between Serbia and Croatia, Mr

Edmunds cited the script to show that the item was referring to recent times rather

than events during the Second World War. There had been, he added, "quite awful

conflict" in the Balkans in recent times.

Mr Edmunds concluded:

I think that just skimming the surface of Balkan history as you and I have done

in this correspondence shows the enormous complexity of relationships among

the various ethnic groups. However, I cannot find any information to support

your claim that the introduction to this item was inaccurate or untruthful. It had

to be simple. It aimed simply to set the scene.

I am sorry that the wording of the introduction upset you but have been unable

to find any evidence that it was wrong. G1, therefore does not appear to have

been breached. Your complaint was not upheld.

Mr Letica's Referral to the Broadcasting Standards Authority - 1 July 1997

Dissatisfied with TVNZ's response, Mr Letica referred his complaint to the

Broadcasting Standards Authority under s.8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989.

He began with a brief outline of Balkan history from the 6th to the 14th centuries

which included a reference to Knez Tomislav who proclaimed himself King of

Hrvatska in the year 925. The name Croatia, he wrote, did not exist at the time. By

the 14th century, he said that the Balkans consisted of one people (Balkan slavs), one

language, two names (Hrvatska and Croatia), three religions and two alphabets.

In response to TVNZ's letter, he disagreed that Dalmatia was consistently a province

of Croatia as it ran its own kingdom from the 6th to the 9th century, and in the second

half of the 18th century.

Mr Letica maintained that he did not know the meaning of Croatia, pointing out the

kingdom in the 10th century was that of Hrvatska - not Croatia.

Disagreeing with some other points raised by TVNZ, Mr Letica concluded:

I am still standing behind my letter to Mr Holmes, 21st May 1997, and I am still

insisting for a public apology on TV from Mr Holmes for presenting such a

programme. I lost nine young men in my family in the second world war,

defending our country from Fascists and fascist quizzlings. Mr Holmes

programme was openly promoting and making heroes of those quizzlings.

TVNZ's Response to the Authority - 7 July 1997

TVNZ advised that it did not wish to comment further.