BSA Decisions Ngā Whakatau a te Mana Whanonga Kaipāho

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Summary

Following a broadcast of Barney which began at 8.30am on 14 November 1996, TV2

broadcast a promo for a programme in the series of The Gladiators.

Ms White complained to Television New Zealand Ltd that it was totally inappropriate to

broadcast a violent promo in between two programmes intended for pre-school aged

children.

TVNZ responded to Ms White advising that it found nothing in the promo for The

Gladiators which suggested that its content was unsuitable for viewing at a time when

children may have been watching. It advised that both the programme and the promo at

issue carried G classifications, and the programme played in the G time slot of 6.30pm. It

declined to uphold the complaint.

Dissatisfied with the decision, Ms White 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 uphold the complaint.

Decision

The members of the Authority have viewed the promo complained about, and have read

the correspondence (summarised in the Appendix). As is its practice, the Authority

determines the complaint without a formal hearing.

In between the broadcast of Barney which began at 8.30am, and the broadcast of Here's

Humphrey, TV2 broadcast a G classified promo for a G classified programme in the series

of The Gladiators.

Sue White complained to TVNZ that violent scenes from The Gladiators were being

broadcast between programmes intended for the pre-school age group. She considered

the positioning of the particular promo as totally inappropriate. She also complained

about the broadcast of a promo for The Cape at the same time. TVNZ upheld that aspect

of the complaint and it was not referred to the Authority.

TVNZ considered the complaint about The Gladiators promo under standards G12 and

G22 of the Television Code of Broadcasting Practice. Standard G12 requires

broadcasters:

G12 To be mindful of the effect any programme may have on children during

their normally accepted viewing times.

Standard G22 provides:

G22 Promotions (promos) for AO programmes may be screened during PGR or

G time bands provided the promo is made in such a way that it can be

classified as PGR or G, as appropriate. Promotions which carry an AO classification

may only be screened within AO time bands.

TVNZ advised that it found nothing in the promo for The Gladiators, or in the

programme itself, which suggested its content was unsuitable for viewing at a time when

children may have been watching. TVNZ declined to uphold the complaint.

In referring her complaint to the Authority, Ms White advised that while she understood

that The Gladiators was a G classified sporting programme, she would not allow her 18

month old daughter to watch it.

The Authority does not consider that standard G22, nominated by TVNZ, is relevant to

the complaint. In considering standard G12, having viewed the promo in question, it can

see nothing which would have had an adverse effect on the pre-school children who may

have watched it. The Authority notes that the promo showed enthusiastic sports people

participating in a light-hearted contest. The aspect of the promo of particular concern to

the complainant was not in the Authority's view of a particularly harmful nature for pre-

schoolers, and in any case was very short in duration.

For the reasons above the Authority declines to uphold the complaint.

Signed for and on behalf of the Authority

Judith Potter
Chairperson
6 March 1997

Appendix

Ms Sue White's Complaint to Television New Zealand Ltd - Undated

Ms White complained to Television New Zealand Limited about the broadcast on TV2 of

two promos, one for a programme in the series of The Cape and one for a programme in

the series of The Gladiators, both broadcast after the children's programme Barney which

began at about 8.30am on 14 November 1996.

In her letter of complaint to TVNZ, Ms White expressed the view that the promos were

violent, and not appropriate to be seen by pre-school children. She considered the

broadcast of the promos all the more reprehensible because they were promos for TVNZ

programmes rather than other advertising.

TVNZ's Response to the Formal Complaint - 28 November 1996

TVNZ in response considered the complaints under standards G12 and G22 of the

Television Code of Broadcasting Practice and upheld her complaint about the promo for

The Cape. However, in respect of The Gladiators promo, it stated:

Each episode in this series is a pseudo sports event, the various heats each week

leading up to semi-finals and then to a grand final. The events involve heavily

muscled men and women performing various feats of strength and endurance

before a live audience....

It noted that The Gladiators itself had a "G" classification and was broadcast in "G"

viewing time (6.30pm).

TVNZ found nothing in the promo or in the programme itself which suggested its content

was unsuitable for broadcasting at times when children may have been watching. It

declined to uphold the complaint.

Ms White's Referral to the Broadcasting Standards Authority - 16 December 1996

Dissatisfied with the decision in respect of The Gladiators promo, Ms White referred the

complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority under section 8(1)(a) of the

Broadcasting Act 1989.

While accepting that The Gladiators was a "G" classified sporting programme, Ms White

said she would still not allow her 18 month old child to watch it because of its aggressive

content. The particular promo, she said, depicted contestants hitting each other with long

padded staves. She reiterated her view that it was not suitable viewing for pre-schoolers.

TVNZ's Response to the Authority - 24 December 1996

TVNZ's only response was as follows:

Put simply this trailer was a G-rated promo advertising a G-rated programme,

playing in G time and placed between two G-rated programmes (Barney and Here's

Humphrey).