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BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1997-038 Dated the 17th day of April 1997 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by D THOMPSON of Rotorua Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1991-032:Holt and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1991-032 PDF770. 19 KB...

ComplaintHavoc and Newsboy’s Sell Out Tour 2 – allegations about public relations companies – offensive language – inaccurate – unbalanced, biased and unfair FindingsStandard G1 – subsumed Standard G2 – no uphold Standard G4 – serious allegations made – no acknowledgment that they were contestable – uphold Standard G6 – subsumed OrderBroadcast of statement This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary A sequence broadcast during the satirical programme Havoc and Newsboy’s Sell Out Tour 2 on TV2 on 15 August 2000 beginning at 9. 30pm, contained an interview with political activist Nicky Hagar. Mr Hagar made a number of claims about the public relations industry. Among references to various public relations companies, Mr Hagar named Hill & Knowlton, an international company operating in New Zealand, as being responsible for putting a favourable spin on America’s involvement in the Gulf War....

ComplaintRacing – Live coverage of Lion Brown Wellington Cup at Trentham – arch behind presenters bearing words Lion Brown – incidental liquor promotion – considerable liquor signage – saturation of liquor promotion FindingsStandard A1 – no saturation of liquor promotion – no uphold Standard A3 – repeated visuals of arch – incidental liquor promotion not minimised – uphold OrderCosts to Crown of $750 This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] Live coverage of the Lion Brown Wellington Cup at Trentham was shown on TV One between 5. 00–6. 00pm on 25 January 2003. The coverage included comments from the presenters when, on a number of occasions, there was an arch bearing the words "Lion Brown" in the background. [2] Cliff Turner complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the footage of the arch amounted to the incidental promotion of liquor....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989IRB Sevens World Series – presenter used the term “MILFs” – allegedly in breach of broadcasting standards FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – “MILFs” used in a light-hearted and jovial manner – not explained or elaborated on – contextual factors – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] During the IRB Sevens World Series, broadcast on TV One at 7. 30pm on Saturday 5 February 2011, the presenter stated: I can tell you in your absence it’s going off. The party is absolutely awesome. It’s all in good fun, good clean fun as well. I did pop out there, I got snogged by a couple of MILFs and I was also issued a fine by some police officers wearing only Speedos, let’s not go into that....

SummaryWhen Women Kill, a documentary about two women who had both served 10 years in prison for murder was broadcast on TV One on 18 October 1999 at 8. 30pm. Bruce Tichbon complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that individuals referred to in the programme by the two women had not been treated fairly as they had not been given an opportunity to respond to accusations made about their conduct. He also complained that the programme was unbalanced because of comments made by a prison manager and because, Mr Tichbon said, it portrayed women as victims and men as violent abusers of women and children. TVNZ responded that the programme had not concealed the fact that it was tracing the women’s lives from their point of view. In those circumstances it considers it was not necessary to include the people referred to in the programme....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News – item on the environmental state of the Manawatu River – presenter stated that the river was "rated among the most polluted in the Western World" – reporter said that the Cawthron Institute had described the river as "one of the most polluted in the Western World" – allegedly inaccurate FindingsStandard 5 (accuracy) – while statements that Manawatu River was one of the most polluted in the Western World were not precise, the overriding message was correct – viewers not misled – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An item on One News, broadcast at 6pm on Monday 9 August 2010, looked at the environmental state of the Manawatu River....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Tonight – statement that the average household spends 20 percent more on electricity than it did 20 years ago – allegedly inaccurate Findings Standard 5 (accuracy) – reasonable viewers would have understood that the statement referred to 20 percent of household budget, not 20 percent more money – not inaccurate – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An item on Tonight, broadcast on TV One at 10. 30pm on 31 May 2007, discussed the recent death of a woman whose power had been switched off by an electricity company. The reporter said the woman’s death had: …thrown the spotlight on the huge increases in power prices in the past 20 years. The average household now spends 20 percent more on electricity....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989The Gathering Storm – use of obscene language in a PGR classified film – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency and programme classificationFindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – contextual factors – not upheld Standard 7 (programme classification) – warning not necessary – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] The Gathering Storm screened on TV One at 9. 15pm on 7 January 2006. It was a dramatised documentary about the life of Winston Churchill during the period between the two world wars. Complaint [2] Ken Francis complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that despite the programme being rated PGR, it contained objectionable language, and no warning had been given....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Eating Media Lunch – showed magazine photograph which reported that celebrities Charlotte Dawson and Nicky Watson had moved into a flat together – photograph included women’s Chihuahua dogs – presenter said “Cricket and Harper have recently moved in together” – allegedly offensive, unfair and deceptiveFindingsDecline to determine complaint under s11(b) of Broadcasting Act 1989This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An episode of Eating Media Lunch, broadcast at 10. 00pm on 5 April 2005, referred to an issue of New Zealand Woman’s Weekly featuring a photograph of celebrity flatmates Charlotte Dawson and Nicky Watson, and their pet dogs. The presenter referred to the dogs and said “Cricket and Harper have recently moved in together”. Complaint [2] Graham Wolf complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the comment was offensive and unfair to the named celebrities....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News – introducing an item about events on Waitangi Day, the presenter referred to the Treaty of Waitangi as “the nation’s founding document” – description of Treaty allegedly inaccurateFindingsStandard 5 (accuracy) – reporter’s description of the Treaty as “the nation’s founding document” was not a material statement of fact to which the accuracy standard applied – description would not have misled viewers about the status of the Treaty – item not inaccurate or misleading – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Introduction [1] A One News item broadcast on Waitangi Day, 6 February 2013, covered the Prime Minister’s visit to, and reception at, Waitangi that day....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1993-038:Group Opposed to Advertising of Liquor and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1993-038 PDF377. 55 KB...

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1993-077:Wells and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1993-077 PDF301. 25 KB...

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1992-031:Group Opposed to Advertising of Liquor and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1992-031 PDF188. 21 KB...

Warning: This decision contains content that some readers may find distressing. On 15 March 2019 a special 1 News broadcast covered the terrorist attacks on two Christchurch mosques. The broadcast featured footage of victims being taken into hospital, many of whom had visibly sustained gunshot injuries and/or were identifiable. The Authority did not uphold two complaints that the coverage breached the privacy standard. The Authority found that media coverage of this event had high public interest in light of the unprecedented nature of extreme violence that occurred. The media had an important role to play in informing the public of events as they unfolded, including the nature and scope of injuries suffered and the action of first responders, including medical personnel. The Authority acknowledged that the repeated use of footage of identifiable victims amounted to a breach of privacy but found that the public interest defence applied....

The University of Otago (the University) complained that three broadcasts by TVNZ, about sexual assault allegations by former and current students of the University, breached the fairness, balance and accuracy standards of the Free-to-Air Television Code of Broadcasting Practice. The complaint about Sunday was not upheld, but aspects of the complaint about Breakfast and 1 News were upheld. Overall, the Sunday programme was balanced, as it included comment from the University and was clearly signalled as coming from the perspective of the women interviewed. No material inaccuracies were identified, and the University was given a reasonable opportunity to respond. However, the Breakfast and 1 News items focussed more specifically on perceived shortcomings of the University and its decision not to be interviewed, resulting in unfairness to the University. The Authority also found that the Breakfast programme lacked balance....

The Authority did not uphold an accuracy complaint about a 1 News item on the use of interlocking concrete blocks to curb coastal erosion on the West Coast. The complaint was that the item inaccurately referred to the location shown in the clip as Granity, rather than Hector, which devalues property in Granity. Given longstanding concerns about coastal erosion spanning across three towns within a small geographical area, including Granity, the Authority did not find any material inaccuracy likely to significantly affect the audience’s understanding of the item as a whole.   Not Upheld: Accuracy...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint about an item which reported on the road toll over Labour Weekend and showed images of an accident where a woman was hit by a truck. The Authority found the privacy, fairness, accuracy and law and order standards were not breached. The complainant alleged the driver of the truck was identified and the broadcast gave the impression they were at fault for the accident. The Authority found the item did not identify the driver of the truck nor reveal private information about them. The item did not refer to the driver, nor give the impression the truck driver was not driving safely. The item reported on what police had said were potential causes of crashes, but it was clear this was not referring to the specific incidents which had taken place over the weekend. Not Upheld: Privacy, Fairness, Accuracy, Law and Order...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint about a 1News item on 6 July 2025 reporting ‘Israel has continued attacks in the occupied Gaza Strip amid steps towards a possible ceasefire. At least 35 Palestinians have been killed in the latest strikes, according to the Hamas-run Civil Defence Agency…’ The complaint was that this story ‘further compounded’ TVNZ’s earlier ‘unbalanced and inaccurate reporting’, including by referring to the ‘Hamas-run Civil Defence Agency’ (leading viewers to question the veracity of reported Palestinian deaths) and by stating ‘[t]he war began when Hamas attacked Israel’ (showing footage of 7 October 2023), which repeated ‘Israeli narrative’ and ‘decontextualised’ the history of the conflict and Israeli attacks prior to that date. The Authority found viewers were unlikely to be materially misled or left uninformed by this item....