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Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News – reference to President George W Bush “leading the free world” – allegedly unbalanced and unfairFindingsStandard 4 (balance) – no balancing comment required – not upheld Standard 6 (fairness) – not unfair to any persons taking part or referred to – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An item on One News broadcast on TV One at 6pm on 22 October 2004 dealt with a back-dated pay rise which had been given to Members of Parliament in New Zealand. Towards the end of the segment, the reporter compared the salary of the Prime Minister of New Zealand with that of other world leaders, including President George W. Bush of the United States....

ComplaintOne Late Edition – news item regarding school students suspended for possession of cannabis – interview with Executive Director of WellTrust – discussed drug use by children – unbalanced – inaccurate – misleading Findings Standard 4 – period of current interest ongoing – no uphold Standard 5 – mixture of fact and opinion – no uphold Standard 6 – not relevant – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision Summary [1] An item about school students who were suspended for possessing bags of cannabis was broadcast on One Late Edition, shown on TV One at 10. 35pm on 22 November 2002. The item included a live interview with the Executive Director of WellTrust (Pauline Gardiner), a Wellington drug education organisation, about drug use by children....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News – item about rescue helicopter trip to Raoul Island following volcanic eruption – one DOC worker missing – member of rescue team commented that supplies included a body bag – complaint that reference to body bag was hurtful to missing worker’s family and item allegedly in breach of good taste and decency FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – news item dealt with reality of situation – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] The organisation of a rescue team to fly to Raoul Island to search for a missing Department of Conservation staff member, following a volcanic eruption, was dealt with in an item on One News broadcast on 17 March 2006 beginning at 6. 00pm. The logistics of the helicopter flight were covered as was previous volcanic activity on the island....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Te Karere – item reported that a group described as Te Aukiwa Farm shareholders were evicting farm hands employed by the Office of Treaty Settlements and had requested police assistance – broadcaster upheld complaint that item was inaccurate – apologised to complainant and offered on-air apology and correction – complainant dissatisfied with the offer Findings Action taken – sufficient – broadcaster nevertheless encouraged to carry out the action it had undertaken – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An ongoing dispute about ownership of the farm block, Te Aukiwa Farm (Stoney Creek Station) 12km south of Mangonui, was dealt with on an item on Te Karere, broadcast on TV One at 4. 45pm on 15 September 2006, and repeated at 6. 10am on 16 September....

ComplaintFair Go – consultation fee for general practitioner when there is an ACC contribution – practice to reduce fee to patient – opinion given that not to do so may amount to using finance as a barrier to treatment which is unethical – untrue – unfair FindingsStandard G1 – statement incorrect – uphold Standard G4 – not unfair in context – no uphold No OrderThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] An item on Fair Go examined the case of a rugby player who went to a medical practitioner because of an injury. It was reported that ACC contributed $26 to the doctor for each consultation, but he had not reduced his fee for the player. A doctor from ACC said it may well have been unethical for a doctor to use finance as a barrier to treatment....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Promo for The Vampire Diaries – broadcast during a G-rated programme at 4. 55pm – contained shots of vampires and people kissing – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, responsible programming, children’s interests, and violence standardsFindingsStandard 8 (responsible programming) – images in the promo very brief and dark – would not have left a lasting impression likely to disturb or alarm child viewers – correctly rated G – not upheld Standard 9 (children’s interests) – promo unlikely to disturb or alarm children – broadcaster adequately considered children’s interests – not upheld Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – promo was fleeting and inexplicit – not upheld Standard 10 (violence) – promo did not contain any violence – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision....

Complaint60 Minutes – sex tourist trade in Thailand – breasts exposed – offensive behaviour – unsuitable for children FindingsStandard G2 – not unsuitable in context – no uphold Standard G12 – warning sufficed to comply – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary A 60 Minutes item broadcast on TV One on 12 November 2000 beginning at 7. 30pm examined the exploitation of young women in the sex industry in Thailand. It examined the attitudes of a group of Australian men who went to Thailand for sex holidays. Kristian Harang complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that a scene where a young woman exposed her breasts was offensive and inappropriate for broadcast at a time when children were likely to be watching television. He also complained about some night club scenes where women were seen "gyrating"....

Complaint60 Minutes – Police shooting of Steven Wallace – unbalanced – erroneous FindingsStandard G1 – no inaccuracy – no uphold Standard G6 – broadcast balanced – balance also achieved in period of current interest – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary An item on 60 Minutes looked at events in Waitara in the minutes before the Police shooting of Steven Wallace. The item was broadcast on TV One at 7. 30pm on 6 May 2001. Ian White complained to the broadcaster, Television New Zealand Ltd, that the broadcast was "totally unbalanced and erroneous". TVNZ did not consider that the programme had been inaccurate. It also maintained that the programme had been balanced. Dissatisfied with TVNZ’s decision, Mr White referred the complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby – comedy series about a politically incorrect relief teacher – 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] Episode three of Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby, a comedy series about a politically incorrect teacher in a New Zealand school, was screened on TV One on 20 May 2005 at 9. 35pm. [2] The programme’s storyline involved the discovery of a used condom in the reading recovery area of the school, and the subsequent revelation that a young female teacher had been sexually involved with a male student....

ComplaintI Dreamed of Africa – film – screened at noon on Sunday – nudity – sexual behaviour – unacceptable at that hourFindings Standard 9 – acceptable in context – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision Summary[1] The film I Dreamed of Africa was screened on TV2 at 12 noon on Sunday 12 October 2003. It was based on the autobiography of a privileged white woman from Italy who settled in rural Kenya. One scene discreetly showed the woman being undressed by her apparently naked husband and the couple kissing, apparently as a prelude to sex. [2] David Ronalds complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that such a scene was inappropriate and unacceptable in a film being screened at that time....

The Authority has declined to determine a complaint about an item on Breakfast as it was trivial. The complainant was concerned with the description of Auckland’s COVID-19 Alert Level 3 restrictions being referred to as ‘lockdown’ when Level 4 is ‘lockdown’. The remainder of the complaint reflected the complainant’s personal grievances with the broadcaster’s emailing system. Declined to Determine (section 11(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989, trivial): Programme Information, Accuracy...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 28/94 Dated the 9th day of May 1994 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by GRAEME NORTH of Warkworth Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED I. W. Gallaway Chairperson J. R. Morris R. A. Barraclough L. M. Dawson...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 18/95 Dated the 6th day of April 1995 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by CLIFF TURNER of Hamilton Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED J Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 64/95 Decision No: 65/95 Dated the 20th day of July 1995 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of complaints by MEGAVITAMIN LABORATORIES NEW ZEALAND LIMITED and DR WARREN STEWART of Christchurch Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED I W Gallaway L M Loates W J Fraser R A Barraclough Co-opted member...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 131/95 Dated the 16th day of November 1995 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by VALERIE O'BRIEN of Invercargill Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1996-125 Dated the 3rd day of October 1996 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by DILIP RUPA 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: 1996-178 Decision No: 1996-179 Dated the 17th day of December 1996 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of complaints by RCD APPLICANT GROUP of Dunedin and OTAGO REGIONAL COUNCIL Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1998-001 Dated the 29th day of January 1998 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by IAN McLEAN of Rotorua Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED S R Maling Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod J Withers...

Summary A news item broadcast on One Network News on 14 April 1998 between 6. 00-7. 00pm referred to some of the recommendations in the government’s review on firearms. It was reported that members of the anti-gun lobby were dissatisfied with the government’s lack of progress in implementing the recommendations. Paul Sheehan of Christchurch complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the report on the recommendation to buy back semi-automatic weapons was inaccurate and misleading. In addition he complained about what he called the "incorrect implication" that gun laws had not been tightened, and the failure to balance the discussion by including a person from the pro-gun lobby. TVNZ advised that it upheld the aspect of the complaint regarding the recommendation to buy back semi-automatic weapons....