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ComplaintNine to Noon – host read out email critical of Whanau series – host highlighted grammatical and typographical errors in email – breach of right of individuals to express own opinions – breach of requirement to deal justly and fairly with person referred to in programme – failure to show impartiality on question of a controversial nature FindingsPrinciple 4 – host presented email correspondent's point of view – no uphold Guideline 4a to Principle 4 – host presented correspondent's opinion – no uphold Principle 5 – correspondent not treated unjustly or unfairly – no upholdThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] During the Nine to Noon programme broadcast on National Radio on 14 August 2001, the host read out a number of responses received from listeners via phone, fax or email....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 National Radio – Nine to Noon – joint interview with organiser of anti-racism march in Christchurch and leader of National Front – complainant alleged that interview on National Radio gave National Front credibility and legitimacy – item allegedly unbalanced and unfair as National Front not legitimate commentator on immigration issuesFindings Principle 4 (balance) – programme presented both sides of debate – not upheld Principle 5 (fairness) – programme not unfair to identifiable person – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] During Nine to Noon on 10 May 2004 the presenter (Linda Clark) conducted a joint interview with the organiser of an anti-racism march in Christchurch, Mr Lincoln Tan, and the organiser of a National Front counter-march, Mr Kyle Chapman....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]An episode of the satirical series Go Ahead Caller, in which host Ken Oath ‘equates our majority government with those in some other countries where socialism failed’, featured a phone call from a fictional caller, who used the word ‘shit’. The Authority did not uphold a complaint that the broadcast and the use of this word breached the good taste and decency standard. The Authority found that the use of the word complained about was unlikely to cause widespread undue offence or distress, in the context of the broadcast. The Authority also found that, given the satirical nature of the programme and audience expectations, the broadcast did not threaten community norms of good taste and decency, or justify restricting freedom of expression....

The Authority did not uphold a complaint that a segment on Morning Report about the release of the Department of Corrections’ strategy ‘Hōkai Rangi’, aimed at reducing the proportion of Māori in prisons, breached the balance standard. The broadcast included a pre-recorded interview with Corrections Minister, Hon Kelvin Davis, followed by a discussion between host Susie Ferguson and guests Sir Kim Workman and Julia Whaipooti about the issues for Māori in the corrections system and whether the strategy would help to address these. The following morning, the National Party’s Corrections spokesperson David Bennett was interviewed on Morning Report about why the National Party was critical of the strategy. The complaint was that the interview with Sir Kim and Ms Whaipooti was unbalanced and one-sided....

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that an item on Checkpoint covering the Select Committee report on the Abortion Legislation Bill was unbalanced, unfair and discriminated against unborn children. The Authority found: ‘unborn children’ were not a recognised section of the community; the broadcaster made reasonable efforts to present significant viewpoints on the issue discussed; and the item did not result in unfairness to anyone taking part or referred to. Not Upheld: Balance, Fairness, Discrimination and Denigration...

The Authority found it had jurisdiction to determine a complaint about broadcasts on RNZ National, as the complainant’s original complaint to the broadcaster constituted a formal complaint under the Broadcasting Act 1989. While the broadcaster was of the view the complaint was not lodged under broadcasting standards, the Authority found it expressly or implicitly identified broadcasting standards allegedly breached by the broadcasts. Accepted jurisdiction...

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]During the All Night Programme on Radio New Zealand, the presenter used the expression ‘Thank Christ’. The Authority did not uphold a complaint that this was a ‘blasphemous expression’ which was highly offensive. The Authority followed its findings in previous decisions that expressions such as ‘Thank Christ’ are often used as exclamations and are not intended to be offensive. It was satisfied that in the context it was used by the presenter, the expression would not generally be considered to threaten current norms of good taste and decency. Not Upheld: Good Taste and DecencyIntroduction[1] During a segment on the All Night Programme, the presenter stated: I love trains, don’t you? I think it’s a shame what’s happened to some of the trains in New Zealand. Thank Christ we’ve got some left....

ComplaintBea Arthur on Broadway – Concert FM – joke about a taxi driver and his fantasy about oral sex with a nun – offensive FindingsPrinciple 1 Guideline 1a – context – no uphold his headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends featured in the Music Alive programme broadcast on Concert FM between 8. 00–9. 10pm on Friday 24 January 2003. During the programme, actress Bea Arthur told a joke about a nun who hired a taxi, and the taxi driver who told her that he had a fantasy about having oral sex with a nun. [2] Paul Clarke complained to Radio New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the story was offensive and not the sort of material expected on Concert FM. [3] In response, RNZ apologised to Mr Clarke....

ComplaintNational Radio – Nine to Noon – commentary about dispute among board members of NZ Post – accountability of SOEs – lack of balance FindingsPrinciple 4 – accountability of SOE boards a controversial issue – authoritative and expert opinion – no uphold CommentOpportunity to rebut and question news and current affairs to ensure balance outlined in Guideline 4b applies to talkback – it does not apply to items balanced in themselves or balanced within the current period of interest This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary The accountability of board members of a State Owned Enterprise was the topic addressed by Sir Geoffrey Palmer in his weekly segment on Nine to Noon. The broadcast complained about was on National Radio on 10 July 2001 at 11. 45am....

ComplaintGood Morning – news item at 7. 00am and subsequently – report that President Bush wanted bin Laden dead or alive – misleading – incorrect FindingsPrinciple 6 – acceptable précis of President’s statement – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] President Bush of the United States wanted "Osama bin Laden dead or alive for last Wednesday’s attacks" reported a news item broadcast on National Radio at 7. 00am on 18 September 2001. The item was repeated on subsequent news broadcasts. [2] Michael Gibson complained to Radio New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the item was incorrect. He said that he had advised RNZ, shortly after 7. 00am, that President Bush had said that wanted to bring bin Laden to justice. However, he added, the incorrect item had been repeated....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]The featured speaker of the 2015 Reeves Memorial Lecture, broadcast by Radio New Zealand, was a prominent former New Zealand politician. The Authority declined to determine a complaint alleging that the choice of speaker was ‘improper’ because she was ‘very corrupt’, on the basis that it was vexatious. The complainant continues to refer complaints of a similar nature to the Authority which do not warrant determination. Declined to Determine: Controversial Issues, Accuracy, Fairness, Responsible ProgrammingIntroduction[1] The featured speaker of the 2015 Reeves Memorial Lecture, broadcast by Radio New Zealand, was a prominent former New Zealand politician. [2] Allan Golden complained that the ‘adulation’ of the speaker contained in the programme was ‘improper’ because she was ‘very corrupt’. He alleged this breached the controversial issues, accuracy, fairness and responsible programming standards of the Radio Code of Broadcasting Practice....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ] Roger Morris complained that an alleged discussion on Worldwatch about the 'Ukraine coup d'etat' failed to mention a number of key facts, primarily about the United States' involvement in the conflict. The Authority declined to determine the complaint as the broadcast identified by the complainant in his complaint did not feature any content about Ukraine. Declined to Determine: Controversial Issues, Accuracy, Fairness, Responsible ProgrammingIntroduction[1] Roger Morris complained that an alleged discussion on Worldwatch about the 'Ukraine coup d'etat' failed to mention a number of key facts, primarily about the United States' involvement in the conflict. He considered that the omission of these facts was in breach of the controversial issues, accuracy, fairness and responsible programming standards of the Radio Code of Broadcasting Practice....

ComplaintMorning Report – British newspaper reviews – left wing bias – unbalancedFindingsNo issues of broadcasting standards raised – decline to determine under s. 11(b) of the Broadcasting Act This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary During Morning Report broadcast daily on weekdays between 6. 00–9. 00am on National Radio, some selected overseas newspapers are reviewed. During the period 4 to 28 July 2000, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The Times were reviewed. Mr G C C Meikle complained to Radio New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that its coverage of the British dailies lacked balance. He noted that considerably more reference had been given to The Guardian than to either The Daily Telegraph or The Times. In his view there was no justification for the bias he believed was demonstrated in favour of The Guardian....

Summary In an item concerning the plight of ethnic Albanian refugees it was reported, in a broadcast on National Radio on 17 September 1998 at 6. 12pm, that they had been prevented by the Serbian army from returning to Albania and were unwelcome in Macedonia to the south. The secretary for the Greek Orthodox Community of Wellington and Suburbs Inc complained on its behalf to Radio New Zealand Ltd that it was inaccurate, and in direct contravention of a UN resolution, to describe the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia simply as Macedonia. It also complained that RNZ had failed to show balance, impartiality and fairness in its presentation of the item. In its response, RNZ pointed out that controversy still existed over the name of the country and it contended that no inaccurate understanding had been conveyed....

SummaryA news item broadcast in Maori on the National Programme at 6. 08am on 15 July 1993referred to the controversy which ensued after an essay about the appropriation of Maorisymbolism by Pakeha artists was published in the catalogue to an art exhibition in Sydney. Mr Panoho, whose essay was the source of the controversy, complained to Radio NewZealand Ltd that the broadcast failed to convey his views accurately and that it did notdeal fairly with him because it attributed to him views that were contradictory to hispublished opinions. In response, RNZ reported that the material in the news item had originated from apublished article it had examined which commented on Mr Panoho's essay. It believedthat the article's interpretation of Mr Panoho's views was accurate and considered thatbecause the broadcast was a factual report of publicly expressed opinions there was nobreach of broadcasting standards. It declined to uphold the complaint....

The Authority did not uphold a complaint about an item on Morning Report discussing data showing Wellington to have the highest assault and sexual assault rates. Discussing the causes for this, the interviewer posed the question: ‘Do we have a problem with masculinity here? ’ and a discussion followed regarding the potential contribution of ‘toxic masculinity’ to Wellington’s crime rate. The Authority found the term did not carry the derogatory connotations suggested and the item did not contain the high level of condemnation or malice towards men required to contravene the standard. Not Upheld: Discrimination and Denigration...

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]Mediawatch included an interview with a senior member of New Zealand's media community. The Authority declined to determine the complaint that the interviewee was 'corrupt' and therefore the interview constituted inaccurate, unfair and irresponsible broadcasting. The complainant has previously made a number of similar complaints which did not raise matters of broadcasting standards, and has been warned that further similar complaints would be unlikely to be determined in the future. Accordingly the Authority considered the complaint to be vexatious. Declined to Determine: Good Taste and Decency, Accuracy, Fairness, Discrimination and Denigration, Responsible ProgrammingIntroduction[1] Mediawatch included an interview with a senior member of New Zealand's media community. [2] Mr Golden argued in essence that as Mediawatch 'implies it takes the behaviour of the news media seriously', the decision to interview someone who is 'corrupt' amounted to inaccurate, unfair and irresponsible broadcasting....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]A segment on Worldwatch was introduced with the headline: ‘A provocative act by America in the South China Sea’. The item later went on to explain, ‘China’s issued a terse statement aimed at the United States after an American destroyer sailed close to an artificial island in the disputed area of the South China Sea. China said the move was illegal and threatened its sovereignty’. The Authority did not uphold a complaint that the introduction to the item was misleading and unfair because it implied that the US was responsible for the escalation of tensions in the South China Sea when in fact China was acting provocatively. Reasonable listeners hearing the item as a whole would have understood the context in which the word ‘provocative’ was used and would not have been misled....

An item on RNZ’s Midday Report covering reports of violence against protesters at Kennedy Point Marina included interviews with a protester, and the developer of the site. The Authority has not upheld a complaint the item breached the balance and fairness standards. The Authority found the item presented a reasonable range of perspectives and developer Kitt Littlejohn was given a fair and reasonable opportunity to present his point of view. Given the level of public interest in the item, Mr Littlejohn, in his position, could reasonably expect the media’s scrutiny and the programme was unlikely to leave listeners with an unduly negative impression of him. Not Upheld: Balance, Fairness...