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Complaints (1) That Seventies Show – used word “slut” – offensive – unsuitable for children (2) 60 Minutes – used word “hell” – offensive – unsuitable for children (3) 60 Minutes – item about teacher and ex-pupil – referred to sexual feelings and penisFindings (1) Standard 1 – context – not upheld Standard 9 – PGR classification appropriate action by broadcaster – not upheldFindings (2) Standard 1 – context – not upheld Standard 9 – consideration of target audience appropriate action – not upheldFindings(3) Standard 1 – context – not upheld Standard 9 – consideration of target audience appropriate action – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision Summary [1] The three complaints concerned: * The word “slut” used in That Seventies Show broadcast on TV3 at 7. 30pm on 2 October 2003....

ComplaintThe Assignment – film – sexual behaviour and nudity – offensive – excessive violence – unacceptable at 8. 30pm FindingsStandard 1 and Guideline 1a – context – no uphold Standard 9 and Guidelines 9a, 9b, 9c – 8. 40pm on Saturday – violent scene screened soon after the watershed – warnings by themselves may not be sufficient – insufficient discretion exercised – upholdStandard 10 and Guideline 10a – violence not gratuitous given factual basis – no uphold No Order This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] The film The Assignment was screened on TV2 at 8. 30pm on Saturday 19 October 2002. Based on the life of the notorious terrorist Carlos (The Jackal), the film’s story-line involved a CIA scheme to persuade Carlos’s allies to suspect his motives and to assassinate him....

Complaint under section 8(1C) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Penis Envy promo – promo for AO-classified documentary broadcast during PGR-rated television series Stephen Fry in America – allegedly in breach of children’s interests standard FindingsStandard 9 (children’s interests) – promo would not have disturbed or alarmed child viewers – broadcaster adequately considered children’s interests – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] A promo for a documentary, Penis Envy, was broadcast on Prime TV at 8. 10pm on Monday 27 September 2010, during the television programme Stephen Fry in America which was rated PGR. Penis Envy was classified Adults Only and was broadcast on Wednesday 29 September at 9. 30pm....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Four Weddings – reality series broadcast at 2pm included nude wedding where all of the guests were naked – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency and children’s interests standards FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – nudity was matter-of-fact and non-sexual – content suitable for PGR programme – contextual factors – not upheld Standard 9 (children’s interests) – nudity not in itself harmful to children – content not unsuitable for supervised child viewers – broadcaster adequately considered children’s interests – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Introduction [1] An episode of a reality series Four Weddings, in which four brides evaluate each other’s weddings and compete for a honeymoon prize, was broadcast at 2pm on TV One on 26 December 2011....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1992-040:Ross and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1992-040 PDF441. 51 KB...

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]A promo for Embarrassing Bodies Downunder broadcast at 7. 15pm during Shortland Street contained a brief reference to the effect of pineapple on the taste of semen. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that the sexual references in the promo were inappropriate for broadcast in this timeslot. The reference to oral sex was inexplicit, would not likely have been understood by most younger viewers and did not exceed expectations of the regular audience of the host programme, which frequently contains mature themes. Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Children's InterestsIntroduction[1] A promo for Embarrassing Bodies Downunder contained a brief reference to the effect of pineapple on the taste of semen as follows: Presenter: What might pineapple do to something in your body? Woman: Change the taste of your semen. . . ? Presenter: Have you given it a crack?...

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]An item on ONE News and a later ONE News update showed a highly-ranked New Zealand mixed martial artist's loss in an Ultimate Fighting Championship match, in which he was kicked and punched repeatedly in the head. The Authority declined to uphold two complaints that the footage was excessively violent because the level of physicality was not unexpected and acceptable in the context of a sport news story covering a fight. Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Responsible Programming, Children's Interests, ViolenceIntroduction[1] An item on ONE News and a later ONE News update showed a highly-ranked New Zealand mixed martial artist's loss in an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match, in which he was kicked and punched repeatedly in the head until the referee stopped the fight....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]A promo for the movie No Strings Attached screened during The X Factor NZ which was rated G. The Authority upheld the complaint that explicit sexual references contained in the promo went beyond the boundaries of the G classification and consequently the broadcaster did not adequately consider the interests of younger viewers who were likely to be watching. Upheld: Responsible Programming, Children's InterestsNo OrderIntroduction[1] A promo for the movie No Strings Attached containing sexual references screened during The X Factor NZ, which was rated G. [2] Michael Black complained that the promo contained multiple visual and verbal sexual references, which were inappropriate for child viewers and inconsistent with the G classification of the host programme....

ComplaintQueer as Folk – offensive behaviour – homosexuality – paedophilia – offensive language – fuck – blasphemy – God – Jesus Christ; unbalanced – unlawful acts portrayed FindingsStandard G2 – AO time – series challenging – community divided – no uphold Standard G5 – did not condone illegality – no uphold Standard G6 – not relevant Standard G12 – not relevant Standard G13 – no denigration – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary Episodes of Queer as Folk were broadcast on TV4 on 8 and 15 March 2000 beginning at 9. 30pm. The 8 March episode showed simulated sex between an adult male and a 15-year-old male, and the 15 March episode included a story line which referred to homosexual activity with the same young man....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 19893 News – item on MTV music awards – showed actor Sacha Baron Cohen as his character Bruno dressed as an angel and only wearing a harness – Bruno was lowered in front of musician Eminem who was sitting in the crowd – Bruno was suspended upside down so that his buttocks were in the musician’s face – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency and children’s interests FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – contextual factors – not upheld Standard 9 (children’s interests) – unsupervised children unlikely to watch news programmes – item did not contain material that would have disturbed or alarmed child viewers – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision....

Complaint under section 8(1) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 Election programme – advertisement for the New Zealand National Party – John Key pictured in moving vehicle – complaint that Mr Key was not wearing a seatbelt – allegedly in breach of law and order and children’s interests standards Findings Election Programmes Code Standard E1 – standards in the Free-to-Air Television Code apply to election programmes Standard 2 (law and order) – advertisement showed Mr Key removing seatbelt – reasonably attentive viewer would have concluded that he was wearing a seatbelt – even if he was not shown wearing a seatbelt, would not have breached Standard 2 – not upheld Standard 9 (children’s interests) – advertisement did not contain any material likely to disturb or alarm children – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Toi Whakaari – kapa haka group – action during haka in which man pulls back the head of a kneeling man and thrusts a weapon at the kneeling man’s body – allegedly in breach of children’s interests standard FindingsStandard 9 (children’s interests) – kapa haka stylised, theatrical performance – unlikely to disturb or alarm children – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] A secondary school kapa haka group performing a haka was shown on Toi Whakaari broadcast by Māori Television shortly before 6. 00pm on 22 August 2006. Toi Whakaari showcases Māori performing art and the haka included an action where one man with a taiaha (a spear) approaches a kneeling man from behind, pulls back his head and makes a gesture as if attacking the kneeling man....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Home and Away – showed couple in bed – camera with recording light on was positioned at the end of the bed – footage briefly shown of the couple kissing – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, responsible programming and children’s interests standards FindingsStandard 8 (responsible programming) – programme’s themes more suited to PGR but visual depiction of them inexplicit and acceptable in G programme – majority – not upheld Standard 1 (good taste and decency) and Standard 9 (children’s interests) – subsumed into consideration of Standard 8 This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An episode of Home and Away, an Australian soap opera with a G rating, was broadcast on TV3 at 5. 30pm on Friday 31 July 2009....

Complaints under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Coronation Street – scene contained two female characters kissing – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, responsible programming, children’s interests and controversial issues standards FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – kissing scene was brief and innocuous – not made less acceptable by the fact the kiss was between two women – content was consistent with the programme’s G rating and not unsuitable for children – contextual factors – not upheld Standard 8 (responsible programming) – programme was correctly rated G and screened in appropriate time-band – not upheld Standard 9 (children’s interests) – broadcaster adequately considered children’s interests – not upheld Standard 4 (controversial issues) – standard only applies to news, current affairs and factual programmes – Coronation Street was a fictional drama – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1991-041:Children's Media Watch and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1991-041 PDF788. 47 KB...

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]A promo for Aquarius, shown during Seven Sharp, included a brief shot of a partially clothed injured male character surrounded by female characters tending his wounds. The Authority did not uphold a complaint that the ‘sexualised’ promo was inappropriate for a time when children could be watching television. The promo did not depict any sexual activity or full nudity, and the shot complained about was fleeting and indistinct. The content was consistent with expectations of a PGR classification and the host news and current affairs programme, and any child viewers would have likely been supervised by adults. Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Responsible Programming, Children’s InterestsIntroduction[1] A promo for Aquarius, shown during Seven Sharp, included a brief two-second shot of a partially clothed injured male character surrounded by female characters tending his wounds....

ComplaintThe Machine – "arse end" used to describe Southland – quiz show aimed at children and teenagers – offensive language – broadcaster not mindful of children FindingsStandard G2 – insufficiently offensive to constitute breach – majority – no uphold Standard G12 – majority – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary One of the presenters of the TV2 quiz show The Machine, during the episode broadcast at 5. 30pm on 17 June 2001, introduced two competing school teams from Northland and from Southland as being "one from the top, one from the arse end" of the country. Robin Duff complained to the broadcaster, Television New Zealand Ltd, that such "crude language" was unacceptable. He said the word would have been acceptable in, for example, a police drama directed to adults, but not in a young person’s quiz show....

Summary [This summary does not form part of the decision. ]The opening scenes of the movie Wanted included a brief sex scene involving a clothed couple. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that this constituted ‘strong’ adult content broadcast too close to the Adults Only 8. 30pm watershed. The scene was very brief, and the couple was clothed and only shown from the shoulders up. Not Upheld: Children’s InterestsIntroduction[1] The opening minutes of the movie Wanted included a sex scene of five seconds’ duration involving a clothed couple. The movie was broadcast at 8. 30pm on Monday 12 May 2014 on TV3. [2] Melanie Riwai-Couch made a formal complaint to MediaWorks TV Ltd (MediaWorks), alleging that the sex scene constituted ‘strong adult material’ that screened too close to the 8. 30pm Adults Only watershed....

omplaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 Promos for The Almighty Johnsons, Sons of Anarchy and Terra Nova – broadcast during Dr Phil at approximately 1. 30pm – contained images of weapons including a knife and guns – allegedly in breach of standards relating to good taste and decency, children’s interests and violence Findings Standard 1 (good taste and decency), Standard 9 (children’s interests), and Standard 10 (violence) – promos did not contain any AO material – promos appropriately classified PGR and screened during Dr Phil which was classified AO – broadcaster adequately considered children’s interests and exercised sufficient care and discretion in dealing with the issue of violence – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision.  ...