Shortland Street. Storylines which ran through five episodes concerned the intimate relationships of three sets of characters. Not upheld (good taste and decency, programme classification, children's interests).
Children’s programme You and Me. Discussion of the words "chairs" and "cheers" which the presenter said were pronounced in the same way but had different meanings. Complaint that the words should be pronounced differently and that this breached the good taste and decency, and balance standards. Declined to determine (not a matter of broadcasting standards).
3 National News and 3 News Update. In an item on 3 National News the reporter described a man convicted of sexual crimes against young boys in his rugby club as a "homosexual paedophile"; in another item on 3 News Update which was previewing the Gay Games in Amsterdam, the sports reporter stated that the Gay Games contained such events as "handbag throwing and the 200 metre dash in high heels". The Authority found shortcomings in both items but considered they both fell short of breaching the standards. Not upheld (fairness, accuracy, discrimination and denigration).
One Network News. Item on no-smacking programme included file footage of a Pacific Island woman beating a young boy. Not upheld (fairness, denigration and discrimination).
Havoc: music video "Smack my Bitch up". Complaint that it contained sexual violence, exploited women and promoted contemptuous treatment of women. Upheld: majority (good taste and decency, violence, liquor). Not upheld (denigration and discrimination). No order.
Holmes. In 1997 a Judge was found not guilty of dishonesty charges. Almost a year later a news item on One Network News revealed the contents of a High Court ruling made before the 1997 trial, in which the judge had ruled a report by a QC in the early stages of the investigation inadmissible. The news item reported that the judgment disclosed the QC’s opinion that the Judge was guilty of fraud. Complaint that the QC’s opinion about the judge’s behaviour was "utterly irrelevant", and that the disclosure was a breach of broadcasting standards and also privacy. (While the complainant referred to a news item in his complaint, TVNZ advised that the matter was discussed during an item on Holmes and the issue was not dealt with on One Network News.) Not upheld (law and order, balance, privacy, fairness).
Super Liquor Sportsnight. Complaint that number of times the Super Liquor logo was screened breached the standard. Not upheld: action taken sufficient (liquor).
Real TV. Item focused on an accident at Western Springs Speedway when parts of a racing car broke away, flew among the spectators and injured a number of people. The item included footage of an injured child being assisted after the accident, and an interview with the child’s mother. The mother complained about the continued use of the footage which had been filmed for news coverage. Not upheld (fairness, violence).
Radio Pacific talkback. Host abruptly cut off a caller, saying that he had used a four letter word. A few minutes earlier, he had referred to a woman caller as a person who lived her life in abject misery. The caller who had been cut off complained that it was an absolute lie to state that he had used a four letter word as could be verified by a copy of the tape, and in both incidents the host’s manner was appalling. Not upheld: action taken sufficient (fairness).
Newsflash. Episode contained, among other things, skits with a religious theme. Not upheld (good taste and decency, discrimination and denigration, children's interests).