2 Sports Action: Lion Red League. Commercial break amounted to 4 minutes 15 seconds in total and liquor promotions comprised 45 seconds of the break. Not upheld (liquor).
All Decisions
One Network News. Item reported on a rugby team’s successful defence of the Ranfurly Shield. Not upheld (liquor).
Banksie on Sunday. Comments by host about the television talent quest programme Showcase. Not upheld (fairness).
Promo for Topp Twins series. Promo showed one of the twins ("Camp Leader") helping herself to a banana from the stand outside a retail fruit stall. Not upheld (law and order).
National Party election advertisement. Focused on the tax policies of other parties. Not upheld (accuracy).
Banksie on Sunday. Host's comment that an African serving a jail sentence in New Zealand "should be swinging in trees in the Congo". Upheld: majority (discrimination and denigration). No order.
20/20: "A Mother's Journey". Allegations of professional incompetence, and past sexual misconduct, were made against a psychologist in a programme investigating the events surrounding the suicide of a 16 year old boy. The programme showed extracts from an interview with the psychologist that had been filmed with a hidden camera. The Authority upheld the complaint that the psychologist's privacy had been breached and that aspects of the programme had breached the standards relating to fairness, balance, deceptive programme practice, and distortion. Order ($1500 compensation to the psychologist and broadcast of a brief summary of the decision).
Progressive Green Party advertisement. Radio Station said they would be able to get a list MP. Upheld (accuracy). No order.
20/20: "Blinded by Science". Item examining the alleged link between exposure to Benlate and birth defects – especially anophthalmia (being born without eyes) – featured two children in Christchurch, and mentioned a forthcoming court case in the US dealing with the relationship between Benlate and anophthalmia. An update was broadcast the following week. Not upheld (balance, accuracy, fairness, deceptive programming practice).
Assignment. Programme investigated impact of social policy changes on low income housing. Not upheld (balance).