An episode of The Carrie Diaries, an American teen drama series, was screened on TV2 at 3pm on a Sunday and contained sexual references and innuendo. The complainant argued it was inappropriate for broadcast during children's viewing times. The Authority considered the programme was correctly classified PGR and broadcast in an appropriate timeslot, and noted it was preceded by a specific warning for sexual content. It found the depiction of sexual content was inexplicit and discreet and would not have offended or distressed most viewers, including supervised children.
Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Children's Interests
An episode of Home and Away, which was classified G, included a storyline about the date rape of a teenage girl. The Authority agreed with the complainant that the theme of rape was unsuitable for unsupervised child viewers and that the programme was incorrectly classified. The Authority made no order, noting that the programme was now screened on another television network.
Upheld: Responsible Programming
No Order
Panellists on TV3's The Nation discussed the Labour Party's proposal for introducing gender equality rules to increase the number of female caucus members. The complainant argued that the programme was unbalanced because only one woman took part in a panel of nine guests. The Authority noted that two panellists expressed views in support of the proposal, the gender of the panellists was not relevant, and the spectrum of views meant sufficient balance was provided.
Not Upheld: Controversial Issues, Fairness, Discrimination and Denigration
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
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
During the Jay-Jay, Mike & Dom Show, the hosts discussed a controversial tweet Dom had posted about The X Factor NZ. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that this breached standards relating to responsible programming and discrimination and denigration: the broadcast sparked debate about the acceptability of the tweet and whether it was sexist, and contained views both for and against the tweet and the criticism it attracted; and the hosts' comment did not encourage discrimination or denigration against any sections of the community.
Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Controversial Issues, Accuracy, Fairness, Discrimination and Denigration, Responsible Programming