Search Rapua

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1992-014:Wardlaw and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1992-014 PDF369. 17 KB...

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Newstalk ZB – host referred to comments by chief executive of the EMA that female workers are less productive because they take sick leave when they are menstruating – host said, “In other words, when a woman is on her rags, she calls in crook to work” – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency standard FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – while comment would have offended some listeners, the phrase was colloquial and referring to menstruation which is not in itself derogatory – contextual factors – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] At approximately 9. 30pm during a talkback programme on Newstalk ZB, broadcast on the evening of 24 June 2011, the host referred to recent comments made by the chief executive of the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA)....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]The Authority has upheld one aspect of a complaint from three complainants about a segment of Punjabi talkback programme Panthic Vichar, broadcast on community radio station, Planet FM. During the programme, host Kuldip Singh made a number of allegations against the complainants, regarding use of grant money and cheating or ‘unjust’ behaviour at a kabaddi tournament. The Authority found that the host’s comments reflected negatively on the complainants and as such, they should have been given an opportunity to respond to the allegations. The Authority did not uphold the remaining aspects of the complaint. The Authority acknowledged the limited resources available to the broadcaster, but reminded it of its obligations under the Broadcasting Act 1989 to receive and consider formal complaints through a proper process, including where the broadcast subject to complaint is in a language other than English....

The Authority did not uphold a complaint under the good taste and decency standard about a brief segment on The Project displaying an image of a scented candle developed by celebrity Gwyneth Paltrow. The complaint was that the name of the candle was disgusting and vile and unnecessary to report on. The Authority acknowledged that this content could have been better signposted for viewers, and some may have been surprised by it and found it distasteful. However reporting the name of the candle in itself did not threaten standards of good taste and decency at a level which warranted limiting freedom of expression, taking into account the wider context of the broadcast. The segment reported on a real product available for sale and the item viewed in its entirety was consistent with audience expectations of The Project and its typical style of presentation and humour....

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....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1990-011:Turner and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1990-011 PDF516. 75 KB...

ComplaintMost Wanted – music video – "Hey Boy Hey Girl" by The Chemical Brothers – depiction of two skeletons having sex – breach of good taste and decency – broadcaster not mindful of the effect of broadcast on young children FindingsStandard G2 – video acceptable in context for general audience – no uphold Standard G12 – unsuitable for children when broadcast at 9. 30am on Saturday morning – uphold No Order This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary The music video "Hey Boy Hey Girl" by The Chemical Brothers, broadcast on TV3 during the programme Most Wanted at 9. 30am on 10 February 2001, depicted a young man and woman who morphed into skeletons and then back into humans. The skeletons appeared to be having sex....

ComplaintOne News – item broadcast on Good Friday about modern Stations of the Cross exhibition – included picture of Jesus Christ on the lid of a toilet seat – offensive – unfair to Catholics FindingsStandard 1 and Guideline 1a – report of Christian celebration of Easter - context – no uphold Standard 6 and Guideline 6g – no denigration – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] The modern and unconventional imagery used in a Stations of the Cross exhibition by a Christian Church group was featured in an item broadcast on One News at 6. 00pm on Good Friday. One image showed a picture of Jesus Christ inside the lid of a toilet seat....

ComplaintBehind the Scenes – Ali G in da house – offensive behaviour FindingsStandard 1 – contextual matters – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] The programme Behind the Scenes – Ali G in da house was broadcast on TV 2 at 10. 45pm on 16 July 2002. [2] Angela Niumata complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the programme included a sequence where the main character performed a suggestive and offensive act upon another character. [3] In declining to uphold the complaint, TVNZ said that in the context of adult comedy, the scene complained about did not breach current norms of good taste and decency. [4] Dissatisfied with TVNZ’s decision, Ms Niumata referred her complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority under s. 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989. For the reasons below, the Authority declines to uphold the complaint....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby – comedy series about a politically incorrect relief teacher – teacher threatened to sodomise a pupil – allegedly in breach of good taste and decencyFindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – contextual factors – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] In an episode of Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby, a comedy series about a politically incorrect teacher in a New Zealand school, the main character threatened to sodomise a pupil if he refused to name which of his classmates had drawn a crude cartoon on the blackboard. The episode screened on TV One at 9. 35pm on 6 May 2005. Complaint [2] Dame Laurie Salas complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the scene was not something a viewer would expect in “supposedly responsible” television....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 Radio Sport – played soundtrack which conveyed the impression that a woman was having sex with a bull – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency Findings Principle 1 (good taste and decency) – soundtrack was gratuitous and prolonged – theme of bestiality would have offended a significant number of listeners – played when children were likely to be listening – upheld No Order This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] At approximately 10. 15am on Sunday 22 October 2006, the presenter of Radio Sport played an audio track containing sounds which conveyed the impression that a woman was having sex with a bull. The soundtrack lasted for 34 seconds, after which the presenter made the following comments: My god is there nothing those people won’t get up to up there....

Complaint Classic Hits 89. 4FM Nelson - content of Nelson’s Mainland Television described as “crap” – offensive and unacceptable Findings Principle 7 – not applicable Principle 1 – not offensive in context – not upheld Principle 5 – humorous editorial comment was not unfair – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision Summary [1] A news report that a city (Oslo) was offering trips through the sewer system as a tourist attraction was read on Classic Hits 89. 4FM in Nelson at about 7. 25am on Thursday 11 December 2003. The announcer added that, in Nelson, Mainland TV offered “four channels of crap all the time”. [2] On behalf of Mainland Television Ltd, the Managing Director (Gary Watson) complained to The Radio Network Ltd, the broadcaster, that the comment was offensive and unacceptable....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Criminal Minds – storyline involved a man with extensive burn injuries seeking revenge on his victims by burning them alive – showed victims being covered in petrol and set on fire – allegedly in breach of standards relating to good taste and decency, responsible programming and violence FindingsStandard 8 (responsible programming) – high degree of explicit violence and disturbing themes constituted strong adult material that warranted an AO 9. 30pm classification and later time of broadcast – programme incorrectly classified – upheld Standard 10 (violence) – episode contained explicit violence – broadcaster did not exercise adequate care and discretion – upheld Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – level of violence in 8. 30pm broadcast was unacceptable in context, despite AO classification – upheld No Order This headnote does not form part of the decision....

ComplaintRadio Pacific talkback – John Banks – critical of Italian team at America’s Cup – greasy Italians – unfair – offensive language – discriminatory – incomplete tape FindingsPrinciple 1 – offensive – uphold Principle 7 – no uphold OrderCosts to the Crown in the sum of $1000 This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary During his talkback programme broadcast between 6. 00–9. 00am on 23 February 2000 on Radio Pacific, host John Banks referred to an incident which had occurred in the America’s Cup race the previous day when the Italian challenger had experienced a number of mishaps and a crew member suffered a head injury. Among other things, he was said to have described the team as "greasy Italians who should be sunk to the bottom of the Waitemata Harbour....

ComplaintNational Radio – Nine to Noon – book reading from novel "Baby No-Eyes" – broadcast repeated – explicit sex instruction from young boy to sister – bad taste FindingsPrinciple 1 – material not offensive in context – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary A reading from the novel "Baby No-Eyes" by Patricia Grace was broadcast on National Radio’s Nine to Noon show, beginning at 10. 30am on a weekday during April or May 2001. The broadcast was repeated at the same time on the following day. M R Ross complained to Radio New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that she was "horrified" to hear "an explicit sex instruction from a young boy to his little sister" during a book reading she said was broadcast on 9 May 2001, and then repeated on 10 May 2001. RNZ did not uphold the complaints....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1993-096–097:Sharp and Leonard-Taylor and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1993-096, 1993-097987. 7 KB...

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1992-013:Jensen and Radio New Zealand Ltd - 1992-013 PDF279. 29 KB...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1997-021 Dated the 6th day of March 1997 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by PEGGY BURTON of Wellington Broadcaster TV3 NETWORK SERVICES LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

Summary An American documentary entitled Scared Straight – 20 Years On was broadcast by TV3 on 12 July 1999 at 8. 30pm. It examined a rehabilitation programme for youthful offenders which was based on behaviour modification. The programme was trialled in the 1970s, and 20 years later some of those participants were asked about their experiences on the course and how they had lived their lives since then. James Whitham complained to TV3 Network Services Ltd, the broadcaster, that the programme condoned violence and encouraged intimidating and threatening behaviour. He contended that it had breached a number of broadcasting standards. TV3 responded by noting that the behaviour modification programme had been used successfully in America to help teenage offenders. In the context of an AO programme, which had been preceded by a verbal and written warning relating to language, TV3 maintained that no standards had been breached....