BSA Decisions Ngā Whakatau a te Mana Whanonga Kaipāho

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Summary [This summary does not form part of the decision.]

On Good Morning the presenter interviewed two recently eliminated contestants from Masterchef New Zealand. The Authority declined to determine the complaint that the presenters referred to the two contestants as ‘coo coo things’, as these words did not feature in the broadcast.

Declined to Determine: Discrimination and Denigration

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Introduction

[1]  A presenter on Good Morning interviewed two eliminated contestants from Masterchef New Zealand, while they cooked a dish. The programme was broadcast on TV ONE on 17 April 2014.

[2]  Shane Moore complained that the programme breached the discrimination and denigration standard because the presenter referred to the two contestants as ‘coo coo things’, and attacked ‘mentally disabled people’.

[3]  The members of the Authority have viewed a recording of the broadcast complained about and have read the correspondence listed in the Appendix.

Authority’s findings

[4]  Section 11(b) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 authorises this Authority to decline to determine a complaint if it considers that, in all the circumstances of the complaint, it should not be determined by the Authority.

[5]  Having viewed a recording of the broadcast complained about, we are satisfied that at no stage did the presenter refer to the women as ‘coo coo things’. The complainant may have misheard a reference to ‘cooking things’.

[6]  In these circumstances, we decline to determine the complaint on the basis that the alleged comments complained about did not occur in the broadcast.

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

Signed for and on behalf of the Authority

Peter Radich
Chair
25 September 2014

Appendix

The correspondence listed below was received and considered by the Authority when it determined this complaint:

1            Shane Moore’s formal complaint – 23 April 2014

2            TVNZ’s query to the complainant – 7 May 2014

3            Mr Moore’s response to TVNZ’s query – 14 May 2014

4            TVNZ’s response to the complaint – 13 June 2014

5            Mr Moore’s referral to the Authority – 23 June 2014

6            TVNZ’s response to the Authority – 30 July 2014