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A segment of Seven Sharp on 13 October 2021 reported on the COVID-19 vaccine. The complaint was the segment breached the balance, accuracy and fairness standards as the report incorrectly stated the vaccine was safe for people that are pregnant or breastfeeding. The Authority found the relevant statements were materially accurate. In any event, it was reasonable for TVNZ to rely on Dr Nikki Turner as an authoritative source. In dismissing material relied upon by the complainant to challenge the vaccine’s safety, the Authority also cautioned against the risk of contributing to misinformation by drawing conclusions from extracts of information without an understanding of the context. The balance and fairness standards did not apply. Not Upheld: Accuracy, Balance, Fairness...

The Authority has not upheld two complaints relating to a news item on Nicola Willis MP being appointed the National Party’s Finance Spokesperson. The complaints alleged the broadcast breached the accuracy and balance standards as it omitted the Speaker’s intervention of Willis’s questions to the Finance Minister during Question Time, allegedly leading viewers to believe the questions were delivered seamlessly and without fault. The Authority found the accuracy standard was not breached as the broadcast was materially accurate, and the balance standard did not apply, as the questions did not reflect a controversial issue of public importance. Not Upheld: Accuracy, Balance...

The complainant referred a complaint concerning an item broadcast on 1 News accompanied by submissions in excess of 100 pages, indicating further submissions would be required. The Authority ordered the complainant to resubmit the complaint in a more proportionate form, constituting a single submission not exceeding 2,000 words, within 20 working days of this decision. Order to resubmit complaint in a form not exceeding 2,000 words within 20 working days...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that an episode of Unbreakable, which featured stories about New Zealanders with disabilities, including Golriz Ghahraman MP, was unbalanced and unfair. The Authority noted it is not unbalanced to include an MP in a story, and that as a human interest piece, alternative viewpoints were not required to be presented. The fairness standard did not apply. Not Upheld: Balance, Fairness...

The Authority considered a complaint about a promo for Taskmaster which was aired during the programme Breakfast (unclassified) at 7. 30am, and a promo for My Life is Murder which was aired during the programme The Chase (rated G) at 5. 35pm. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that these promos, which contained brief sexual references, breached the children’s interests standard. It found the references were mild and inexplicit, were not likely to alarm or distress children, and met the requirements for a G classification. Not Upheld: Children’s Interests...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint concerning an election programme for the New Conservative Party. The complainant argued the Party’s policy to remove ‘gender ideology’ from schools, as referred to in the programme, amounted to discrimination against the transgender community. While acknowledging some may consider the policy to be discriminatory and offensive, the Authority found the party’s statement highlighting its policy to remove gender ideology from schools did not reach the high threshold necessary for a finding of discrimination against the transgender community in the context of an election programme. In making its finding, the Authority took into account the significant public interest in election programmes in informing voters of party policies, and the robust political environment in the lead-up to the general election. Not Upheld: E1: Election Programmes Subject to Other Code (Discrimination and Denigration)...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1996-012 Dated the 8th day of February 1996 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by PHILLIP SMITS of Auckland Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

The Authority has declined to determine a complaint alleging an episode of Seven Sharp breached the offensive and disturbing content standard, as one of the hosts used the phrase ‘bloody good buggers’. In light of the Authority’s guidance on complaints that are unlikely to succeed and previous decisions on low-level offensive language, the Authority considered it appropriate to decline to determine the complaint. Declined to determine (section 11(b) in all the circumstances): Offensive and Disturbing Content...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 7/95 Dated the 13th day of February 1995 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by PETER ZOHRAB of Wainuiomata Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED I W Gallaway Chairperson J R Morris L M Loates W J Fraser...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 107/94 Dated the 7th day of November 1994 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by J P LOWE of Clive Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED I W Gallaway Chairperson J R Morris L M Loates W J Fraser...

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Facelift – item featured a skit in which an actor pretended to be Camilla Parker-Bowles singing a parody version of “Candle in the Wind” – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency Findings Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – content of programme clearly satirical – contextual factors – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An episode of the comedy programme Facelift, broadcast on TV One at 10. 10pm on 3 September 2007, included a skit featuring a person acting as Camilla Parker-Bowles. She was shown singing a parody version of “Candle in the Wind”, supposedly in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales. Complaint [2] Brintyn Smith made a formal complaint about the episode to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, alleging that the skit breached standards of good taste and decency....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News – item about an illegal advertising campaign for Goji Juice – product was being marketed to the Tongan community as being a cure for numerous diseases – allegedly unbalanced, inaccurate and unfairFindingsStandard 4 (balance) – controversial issue was the marketing of Goji Juice – broadcaster not required to seek comment from manufacturer or from people who endorsed the product – not upheld Standard 5 (accuracy) – no inaccuracies – not upheld Standard 6 (fairness) – broadcaster did not exhaust every alternative legitimate way of obtaining Namoe Sau’s comment before arranging door-stepping interview (guideline 6b) – used deception to obtain her comment without making sufficient attempts to obtain the material by other means (guideline 6c) – broadcaster treated Ms Sau unfairly – upheldNo OrderThis headnote does not form part of the decision Broadcast [1] An item on One News, broadcast on TV One at 6pm…...

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Eating Media Lunch – footage from British reality series Sex Inspectors included a couple engaged in various sexual acts – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, law and order, privacy, balance, accuracy, fairness, programme classification and programme information standardsFindings Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – contextual factors – not upheld Standard 7 (programme classification) – warning sufficient – not upheld Standards 2–6 and 8 – complaint based on mistake – not relevant – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] At approximately 9. 50pm on 14 December 2004 the presenter of Eating Media Lunch on TV2 introduced a segment which was to feature in the following episode. Brief footage from a British reality series called Sex Inspectors was shown, including a couple engaged in various sexual acts....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Close Up – item introduced as “The Funeral Director from the Dark Side” – about an undertaker whose practices were said to have offended some families – allegedly unbalanced, inaccurate and unfair – allegedly breached privacy of named undertakerFindings Standard 3 (privacy) – privacy principle (iii) – no intrusion in the nature of prying – not upheld Standard 4 (balance) – controversial issue discussed not featured in complaint – complaint subsumed under fairness – not upheld Standard 5 (accuracy) – no inaccuracies – partiality dealt with under fairness – not upheld Standard 6 (fairness) – opportunities given to respond – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] “The Funeral Director from the Dark Side” was the introduction to an item broadcast on TV One’s Close Up at 7. 00pm on 7 June 2005....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989The Mother – movie contained coarse language and sex scenes – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – contextual factors – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] A movie called The Mother was broadcast during TV One’s Sunday Theatre timeslot at 8. 30pm on Sunday 29 November 2009. The movie contained coarse language including the words “fuck”, “shit” and “cock”, as well as three sex scenes. [2] The first sex scene involved a man and a woman lying next to each other in bed. The man was performing a sex act on the woman, but they were covered up to their shoulders in blankets and no nudity was visible....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Close Up – two days before General Election – item about 83-year-old skin cancer sufferer who had urgent operation cancelled three times – host explained that Minister of Health had refused to come on the show – programme included poll asking who should be next Prime Minister – allegedly unbalanced, inaccurate and unfair Findings Standard 4 (balance) – story presented particular example, not a discussion of wider issue – did not discuss a controversial issue of public importance – not upheld Standard 5 (accuracy) – complainant did not identify any inaccuracies – broadcast would not have misled viewers – not upheld Standard 6 (fairness) – complainant did not identify person or organisation treated unfairly – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News and TV One promos – use of the word “next” – allegedly inaccurate Findings Standard 5 (accuracy) – viewers would not have been misled by the use of the word “next” to indicate upcoming programmes – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] Prior to a commercial break during One News, broadcast on TV One at approximately 6. 15pm on 9 March 2007, a banner at the bottom of the screen said “Next: Alzheimer’s Awareness” as the presenter briefly described an upcoming news item. [2] On the same evening at 6. 55pm, a TV One promo carried the words “Next: Antiques Roadshow”, and on 11 March 2007 at 6. 55pm a similar promo read “Next: Close Up”....

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1998-079 Dated the 23rd day of July 1998 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by JENNY HALE of Auckland Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED S R Maling Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod J Withers...

SummarySuper Liquor Sportsnight is broadcast each Monday evening on TV One at 10. 00pm for an hour. On behalf of the Group Against Liquor Advertising (GALA), Mr Cliff Turner complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, about the programme broadcast on 28 September 1998. He maintained that the number of times the Super Liquor logo was screened breached the broadcasting standards relating to the Promotion of Liquor. Acknowledging that the use of the logos exceeded the criteria set out in the guidelines to the standards, TVNZ upheld the complaint. It had occurred, it continued, because of a misunderstanding of the standards by the programme makers, and now steps had been taken to ensure the guidelines were complied with. Dissatisfied with the action taken by TVNZ when it upheld the complaint, Mr Turner on GALA’s behalf referred the complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority under s....