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ComplaintRadio Pacific – Morning Grill – offensive remarks about the Queen FindingsPrinciple 1 – contextual matters – no uphold Principle 7 – no denigration or discrimination – high threshold not reached – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] On the Morning Grill programme broadcast by Radio Pacific on 2 August 2002 at approximately 6. 04am, the presenters (Pam Corkery and Paul Henry) discussed the Queen’s recent visit to a mosque in Britain. The presenters focused on the fact that entry into the mosque required the Queen to remove her shoes. [2] H B McMeekin complained to The RadioWorks Ltd, the broadcaster, that the presenters’ comments were "insulting, gratuitous, and ageist". [3] In declining to uphold the complaint, the broadcaster submitted that the comments complained about were "lighthearted and were not intended to be offensive....

ComplaintAmerica’s Funniest Home Videos – home video of girl with frogs in underwear – bad taste – breach of standards relating to protection of children FindingsStandard G2 – no offensive behaviour – no uphold Standard G12 – not unsuitable for children – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary A home video broadcast during the programme America’s Funniest Home Videos featured a young girl shown removing a number of frogs from her nappy. The programme was broadcast on TV2 at 5. 00pm on 5 May 2001. Tim Dolan complained to the broadcaster, Television New Zealand Ltd, that the broadcast breached standards relating to good taste and the protection of children. Mr Dolan considered it unlikely that the girl had put the frogs into her own nappy and that she had been coerced into appearing in the video....

ComplaintOne News – offensive language – horse named Bugger me – unsuitable for children FindingsStandard G2 – newsworthy – not gratuitous – no upholdStandard G12 – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary A news item broadcast on One News on TV One at 6. 00pm on 21 February 2000 described the controversy in the harness racing industry which had arisen over a horse named "Bugger Me". Paul Schwabe complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the word "bugger" was offensive and its use on television had a detrimental effect on children and society in general. TVNZ responded that in the context of a news item reporting on a controversial matter, the use of the word bugger did not breach broadcasting standards....

ComplaintRadio Pacific talkback – (1) racist remarks – offensive language; (2) denigrated Maori FindingsNo tape provided – unable to determine complaint on merits Principle 8 – relevantOrderCosts of $250 to the complainant This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary Talkback host John Banks was reported to have made critical references to the contribution by Maori to the millennium celebrations in New Zealand in a programme broadcast on Radio Pacific on 17 January 2000 between 8. 15–8. 50am. Hohepa Campbell complained to The RadioWorks Ltd, the broadcaster of Radio Pacific, that the host’s comments were offensive and anti-Maori and incited racial disharmony. As he did not receive a response from The RadioWorks within the statutory time frame, he referred the matter to the Authority under s. 8(1)(b) of the Broadcasting Act 1989....

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1998-072 Dated the 9th day of July 1998 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by DAVID HAY of Auckland Broadcaster ACCESS COMMUNITY RADIO AUCKLAND INC S R Maling Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod J Withers...

SummaryAn episode of Newsflash broadcast on TV 2 on 15 September 1998 at 8. 00pm contained, among other things, skits with a religious theme. Mrs Gruijters complained to Television New Zealand Ltd that the skits were tasteless and offensive and she objected to what she perceived as an attempt to get laughs at all costs. TVNZ responded informally in the first instance, and when asked to respond formally, advised that it considered the complainant’s objection was really one of personal preference rather than an assertion that statutory standards had been breached. Dealing with the specific matters to which Mrs Gruijters objected, it maintained that there was nothing in the programme which breached the good taste standard, and nothing which represented any group as inherently inferior or encouraged discrimination against them. Dissatisfied with TVNZ’s response, Mrs Gruijters referred the complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority under s....

Summary [This summary does not form part of the decision. ]An item on 3 News which reported on a shooting massacre in a Kenyan Mall included footage of a man trying to hide, and then being shot at point blank range. The newsreader warned that the story contained ‘disturbing images’. The Authority upheld the complaint that this warning was inadequate to prepare viewers for witnessing a horrific execution. While recognising the very high public interest in the story and in the footage, viewers were not given a reasonable opportunity to exercise discretion or make a different viewing choice. The Authority did not make any order, as the decision provides sufficient guidance to broadcasters....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]An interview was broadcast on Saturday Morning with a British comedy writer and producer. Following a discussion about causing offence to audiences, the interviewee recalled his time as a radio host and a complaint he received from the Bishop of Oxford about a crucifixion joke. He could not remember the joke, and the presenter invited listeners to ‘. . . send in a series of very funny jokes about the crucifixion to see if we can approximate it’. The Authority did not uphold a complaint that the presenter’s remark was against common decency and offensive to Christians. The remark was not intended to trivialise or make light of the act of crucifixion or the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and did not reach the threshold necessary to encourage discrimination against, or denigration of, the Christian community....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Promo for Coronation Street – broadcast during Breakfast – contained brief image of a woman slapping a man’s face – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, and children’s interests standards FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – shot of woman slapping a man’s face was very brief – Breakfast was unclassified and targeted at adults – promo unobjectionable in this context – not upheld Standard 9 (children’s interests) – Breakfast was aimed at adults and any children viewing were unlikely to be doing so unsupervised – 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....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Newstalk ZB – Larry Williams Breakfast Show – three-way discussion between host and two guests about Tuvaluan overstayer recently convicted of assaulting his wife for second time – guest made comment purporting to justify violence against women – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency – allegedly denigratory of women Findings Principle 1 (good taste and decency) – in context, no obscene language or content – not upheld Principle 7 (social responsibility) – Guideline 7a (denigration) – taken in isolation comments offensive – but in context, comments clearly not meant to be taken at face value – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision....

ComplaintDrama Priest – depiction of homosexual sexual activity – incest – blasphemy – offensive behaviour – offensive language FindingsStandard G2 – programme started at 9. 10pm – warnings – no explicit sexual behaviour – no breach This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary A British drama entitled Priest was broadcast on TV One at 9. 10pm on 11 November 2000. It highlighted the inner conflict experienced by a priest as he tried to reconcile the contradictory demands of his faith and his homosexuality. Ken Francis complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that scenes which depicted homosexual sexual activity were offensive and breached broadcasting standards. The film also contained incest and blasphemy themes, he noted, which he also found offensive....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News – item reported that a group of Australian teenage boys had filmed their attack of a teenage girl and were circulating the footage on DVD – showed some images of the boys’ attack – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, the maintenance of law and order, unfair, and in breach of children’s interests and the violence standard FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – subsumed under Standard 10 Standard 2 (Law and order) – nothing inconsistent with the maintenance of law and order – not upheld Standard 6 (fairness) – not unfair to teenage girl or homeless man – not upheld Standard 9 (children's interests) – item should have been preceded by a warning due to violent content – broadcaster did not consider the interests of children – upheld Standard 10 (violence) – item should have been preceded by a warning due to…...

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989The Simpsons – Halloween episode called "Treehouse of Horror XV" – broadcast at 7pm – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, children's interests, and programme classification standards FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – subsumed under Standard 9 Standard 7 (programme classification) – appropriately classified PGR – not upheld Standard 9 (children's interests) – broadcaster adequately considered interests of child viewers – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] A Halloween episode of The Simpsons called "Treehouse of Horror XV" was broadcast on TV3 at 7pm on Tuesday 16 January 2007. The episode contained three stories. The first, "The Ned Zone", involved the character Ned Flanders being hit by a bowling ball and thereafter being able to see how people would die....

ComplaintThe Edge – ring-in competition – how to deal with unwanted singing hamster – some callers’ suggestions violent and cruel – offensive – illegal – inappropriate for childrenFindingsPrinciple 1 – insufficient information about context – decline to determinePrinciple 2 and Principle 7, guideline b – no tape – decline to determineThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary[1] Listeners to The Edge were invited to phone in and suggest ways of dealing with an unwanted singing hamster. The suggestions broadcast between 7. 50–8. 10am on 21 December 2001 involved various degrees of violence and cruelty. [2] Mr Butcher complained to The RadioWorks Ltd, the broadcaster, that the methods were offensive, illegal and inappropriate for broadcast during children’s normal listening times. [3] When the broadcaster failed to respond to his formal complaint, Mr Butcher referred it to the Broadcasting Standards Authority under s....

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 36/94 Decision No: 37/94 Dated the 2nd day of June 1994 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of complaints by J S of Auckland Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED I. W. Gallaway Chairperson J. R. Morris R. A. Barraclough L. M. Dawson...

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1993-001:Sharp and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1993-001 PDF (374. 35 KB)...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint about a talkback programme which discussed the protests and occupation of Parliament. The Authority found the programme was within audience expectations and did not contain language in breach of the good taste and decency standard. Callers were not treated unfairly, given the talkback environment. The remaining standards were not breached or did not apply. Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Fairness, Discrimination and Denigration, Programme Information, Balance, Accuracy...

THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 160/95 Dated the 19th day of December 1995 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by ALICIA LEE of Auckland Broadcaster TV3 NETWORK SERVICES LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod...

Complaints under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 19893 News– item on a Labour MP using his ministerial credit card to purchase pornographic films while staying at hotels – presenter mentioned that people had been making suggestions on the website Twitter about possible titles of the films, including “Bipartisan Bitches” – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, responsible programming and children’s interests FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – remarks light-hearted attempt at humour – contextual factors – not upheld Standard 9 (children’s interests) – sexual innuendo was too sophisticated for children to understand – broadcaster adequately considered the interests of child viewers – not upheld Standard 8 (responsible programming) – standard not applicable – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision....