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The Authority has not upheld a complaint about offensive language on the broadcast of the Best Foods Christmas Comedy Gala. Comedy is a valuable form of expression and entertainment and the broadcast was adequately signposted with a written and verbal warning, and clearly visible audience advisories at the end of each ad-break. Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint about an item on Seven Sharp in which Hilary Barry made comments about the safety of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine and about ‘anti-vaxxers’, including suggesting those who do not want to be vaccinated could ‘jump on a ferry and go to the Auckland Islands for a few years, and then when we’ve got rid of COVID-19…come back’. The complaint alleged these comments breached the good taste and decency, discrimination and denigration, balance, accuracy and fairness standards, by suggesting the safety of the vaccine was almost without question, and denigrating those with a different view. The Authority found Ms Barry’s comments were unlikely to cause widespread undue offence or distress or undermine widely shared community standards. It found the broadcast did not address a controversial issue so the balance standard did not apply....

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that an item on Fair Go breached the accuracy and fairness standards. The item investigated a mother’s concerns following her son getting severe sunburn despite applying Banana Boat SPF50 sunscreen, and more broadly how sunscreens are tested under New Zealand regulations, and whether the public should be able to rely on claims on sunscreen labels. The Authority found the mother’s comments were clearly her opinion, to which the accuracy standard did not apply, and the programme was not otherwise inaccurate or misleading. The programme did not allege Banana Boat sunscreen does not work, nor that it does not comply with regulatory requirements. The complainant, as the company responsible for Banana Boat, was given a fair and reasonable opportunity to comment in response to issues raised in the story and its response was fairly presented. Not Upheld: Accuracy, Fairness...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that a 1 News report breached the accuracy standard by describing ivermectin as a drug for animals. The Authority found the accuracy standard was not breached as the statements were materially accurate and were not misleading. Not Upheld: Accuracy...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 91/94 Dated the 29th day of September 1994 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by SOUTHLAND FUEL INJECTION LIMITED Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED I W Gallaway Chairperson J R Morris R A Barraclough L M Loates...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 109/94 Dated the 7th day of November 1994 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by GROUP OPPOSED TO ADVERTISING OF LIQUOR Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED I W Gallaway Chairperson J R Morris W J Fraser L M Loates...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 106/95 Dated the 5th day of October 1995 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by FRANCIS FISCHER of Dipton Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1996-013 Dated the 22nd 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...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1996-099 Decision No: 1996-100 Dated the 29th day of August 1996 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 and IN THE MATTER of complaints by THE NATIONAL COLLECTIVE OF RAPE CRISIS AND RELATED GROUPS OF AOTEAROA INC. and RUBY WOODWARD of Wellington Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

Summary A psychic involved in a private search for two missing Blenheim friends in the Marlborough Sounds expounded her theory on how they had died in an item on One Network News broadcast on TV One on 10 April 1998 between 6. 00–7. 00pm. Ms Gendall complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that it was offensive and unnecessarily distressing to the families to have the psychic offer her "grisly conclusions" as to how they had died. She also considered that the credibility of the psychic should have been questioned. The comment, she observed, had not been included in the later evening news bulletin. TVNZ responded that it was justified in reporting the psychic’s search, particularly as both of the families had been involved in the search....

SummaryAn item on One Network News, broadcast on TV One on 26 May 1998 commencing at 6. 00 pm, reported on increased cannabis use among young people in Northland. It referred to the suspension of students from several schools, and included an interview with a student from Kaitaia College. He was asked how long it would take him to get drugs, and replied "about half an hour". The principal of Kaitaia College complained to Television New Zealand Limited, the broadcaster, that promises made by the interviewer that the item would not reflect badly on the college were broken. Of the many comments made by that student and another during the interview, which were pertinent to the issue, the one chosen to represent their view had inaccurately left the impression that cannabis was a major issue at the college, he wrote....

Summary There was a tense debate at the Annual General Meeting of the Hero Trust, according to an item on Queer Nation broadcast on TV2 at 11. 00pm on 5 October 1999. The meeting rejected a proposal to wind up the Trust, and a new Board was elected, the report continued. Several people who had been present at the meeting were interviewed. Kat Jackson of Auckland complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the interview with a woman who had attended the meeting implied that she had the authority and knowledge to speak on behalf of the Trust. Ms Jackson said that the woman had unsuccessfully stood for a position on the Trust and was not empowered to speak on its behalf. She claimed that the broadcast of the interview without mention of this fact resulted in the item being unbalanced and partial....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Breakfast – “On This Day” segment referred to financial markets crash in 1929, advances in the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, dedications to two famous monuments and birthdays of famous people – viewer feedback pointed out that it was also the date the New Zealand Declaration of Independence was signed in 1835 – allegedly in breach of controversial issues and accuracy FindingsStandard 4 (controversial issues – viewpoints) – segment did not discuss a controversial issue of public importance – not upheld Standard 5 (accuracy) – signing of the Declaration was referred to in viewer feedback – viewers would not have been misled by the omission of information about the Declaration in the segment – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] During Breakfast, broadcast on TV One between 6....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989The ComplaintAA complained that a Close Up item breached his privacy and was unfair to him by allowing his ex-wife and her father to allege that he was a wife-beater and a racist. The complainant said that Close Up had taken part in a "malicious attempt" to stop him being granted permanent residency in New Zealand. He said the item was also inaccurate, including allowing a high-ranking Immigration official to say that he had failed to declare a UK conviction for common assault on his immigration application. He provided a copy of his immigration application to show that he had declared the conviction before entering New Zealand. The Broadcaster's ResponseTVNZ said reasonable efforts had been made to get AA's side of the story, but AA had refused to be interviewed....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Eating Media Lunch – item mentioned Charlotte Dawson a number of times – allegedly unbalanced, inaccurate and unfairFindings Decline to determine complaint under s. 11(a) of Broadcasting Act 1989This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An episode of Eating Media Lunch broadcast on TV2 on 8 November 2005 at 10pm contained a segment called “Save our Stars”, in which an actor went around the streets of Auckland collecting donations for various television presenters currently working for Prime Television. Correspondence [2] Graham Wolf complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, about the number of times Charlotte Dawson, a local celebrity, was mentioned in the programme. He argued that she had been referred to at least 11 times in the last 10 minutes of the episode, and submitted that Standards 4, 5 and 6 had been breached....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989The Inspectors – Environmental Health Officer carried out routine spot check at fish and chip shop in Dunedin – made adverse comments about the state of the premises and delivered a food certificate downgrade from a ‘B’ to a ‘D’ – showed footage of business and of the shop owner with his face pixelated – allegedly in breach of privacy, accuracy and fairness standards FindingsStandard 3 (privacy) – shop owner had an interest in seclusion in the back part of his shop – camera crew’s actions amounted to an intrusion in the nature of prying because any consent given was not informed and did not extend to the broadcast of the footage three years after filming – intrusion highly offensive – there was a high level of public interest in the footage at the time of filming but not three years later –…...

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Spongebob Squarepants – cartoon programme – characters went on a “panty raid” to steal women’s underwear – allegedly in breach of children’s interests FindingsStandard 9 (children’s interests) – contextual factors – content not unsuitable for children – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] The cartoon Spongebob Squarepants, which follows the activities of characters in an underwater community, was broadcast on weekdays at 4pm on TV2. The episode screened on 31 August 2006 was about an ageing crab who was attempting to recapture his youth with a night on the town. The characters suggested that they go on a “panty raid” to steal women’s underwear. To the crab’s horror, he discovered that the raid was on his mother’s house and the underwear belonged to her....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Holmes – item on a strip club package for supporters of Lions rugby tour – naked women shown playing pool – demonstration of lap dancing – bedroom with mirrors shown – allegedly offensive, inappropriately classified and unsuitable for children – presenter said “stuff you bitch” at end of programme about another matter – allegedly offensiveFindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – context – not upheld Standard 7 (programme classification) – not applicable to news and current affairs – not upheld Standard 9 (children’s interests) – sufficient earlier indications of focus of item – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] The package offered by a strip club for Lions rugby supporters was covered in an item on Holmes broadcast on Prime at 7. 00pm on 24 May 2005....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Island Wars promo – broadcast during America’s Funniest Home Videos – contestant said “ready to kick some New Zealand arse” – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency and children’s interests Findings Standard 1 (good taste and decency) and Standard 9 (children’s interests) – tone was playful and light-hearted – G rating appropriate – broadcaster adequately considered children’s interests – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] A promo for the programme Island Wars, in which contestants from New Zealand and Australia competed against each other in a variety of challenges, was broadcast during America’s Funniest Home Videos between 4. 30pm and 5pm on Saturday 1 August 2009....