Horace in Slow Motion, a short children's cartoon, showed Horace the pig 'picking his nose and eating it'. The complainant argued this was completely unacceptable by society's standards. The Authority thought the programme used typical children's humour – which the broadcaster referred to as "gross out" humour – and the dialogue in the show acknowledged it was "gross", indicating to children this type of behaviour was not socially acceptable.
Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency
One News reported that 65 police officers had failed their Physical Competency Test (PCT) and that police management were reluctant to discuss the matter. The complainant argued that the item was misleading as it did not indicate what proportion of officers had failed the test, and that the item and footage of someone eating pizza were unfair to, and denigrated, police by portraying them as "fat and unfit". The Authority did not think the item was misleading, and noted that the lack of information was because the police were reluctant to comment. It said the shot of a person eating pizza was legitimate to suggest that diet might be a reason why officers were unfit. The police were given a reasonable opportunity to comment on the story and their response was included.
Not Upheld: Accuracy, Fairness, Discrimination and Denigration, Responsible Programming
A promo for Go Girls, screened during MasterChef: The Professionals which was rated G, included a brief shot of two men kissing. The complainant argued it was inappropriate for broadcast when children could be watching. The Authority found the kiss was brief and innocuous and would not have disturbed or alarmed child viewers.
Not Upheld: Controversial Issues, Children's Interests
Reports on TV One's Breakfast programme discussed the identity of a deceased teenager, even though in a live telephone interview during the programme it was noted that the police were not releasing the deceased's name, as requested by his family. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that the disclosure breached the family's privacy: though the deceased's family were identified through their connection with him, no private facts were revealed because the deceased's identity had already been disclosed on social media sites and so was in the public realm, even if not officially confirmed by police. The broadcaster also took steps, as soon as reasonably practicable, to ensure that the deceased was not named again in the programme.
Not Upheld: Privacy
When talking about an interview with a Kiwi actor on Seven Sharp, one presenter commented, "I was about as popular as a wet fart in a wedding dress". The Authority did not uphold the complaint that this breached the good taste and decency standard: the comment was a brief, throwaway remark used to convey the meaning that the presenter was unpopular.
Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency
An item on 60 Minutes, "The Two Dads Story", reported on a same-sex couple and their experience of parenthood through the use of an off-shore surrogate. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that this breached the controversial issues standard: the item did not amount to a discussion of a controversial issue of public importance as it focused on the couple's personal story, and so it did not require the presentation of alternative viewpoints.
Not Upheld: Controversial Issues
A political commentator on Nine to Noon made comments about the background to negotiations between the Government and Rio Tinto over the Tiwai Point smelter. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that the comments were inaccurate: they amounted to the panellist's opinion, not statements of fact, and were high value speech.
Not Upheld: Accuracy
In an interview with a successful New Zealand businessman on Sunday Morning with Chris Laidlaw, the businessman made a very brief reference to a trustee of one of his projects. The Authority declined to determine the complaint that this breached the accuracy, fairness and responsible programming standards: the complaint was trivial and it was bordering on vexatious for the complainant to continue referring similar complaints following the Authority's previous rulings.
Declined to Determine: Accuracy, Fairness, Responsible Programming
Country Calendar showed footage of a young woman setting a leg-hold trap and moving behind a tree to kill a possum. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that this breached the good taste and decency standard: the footage was extremely brief and did not show anything graphic or gruesome as the possum was killed off-screen, and it was acceptable in the context of the programme.
Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency
An item on Seven Sharp reported on a Labour MP throwing a "Lazarus party" to mark his return to the front bench. The presenter commented, "Leaving aside anything about resurrections and dodgy movies in hotels, Shane Jones is actually known for referring to himself in the third person". The Authority did not uphold the complaint that the presenter's comments breached the good taste and decency, and discrimination and denigration standards: the presenter did not make any reference to the Resurrection of Christ and nothing in the broadcast would have offended or distressed viewers, or encouraged discrimination or denigration against Christians as a section of the community.
Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Discrimination and Denigration