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CanWest TVWorks Ltd became TVWorks Ltd on 15 June 2007. Because the programme complained about was broadcast prior to this date, the broadcaster is still named as CanWest TVWorks Ltd (CanWest) except for the purpose of orders. Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 19893 News – news item referring to previous evening's TV3 programme entitled Let Us Spray – discussed a serum study investigating exposure to dioxins among residents of Paritutu – allegedly unbalanced, inaccurate and unfair FindingsStandard 4 (balance) – subsumed into consideration of Standards 5 and 6Standard 5 (accuracy) – three inaccurate statements – upheldStandard 6 (fairness) – unfair to ESR – upheldOrdersSection 13(1)(a) – broadcast statement Section 16(1) – costs to ESR $3,000 Section 16(4) – costs to the Crown $2,500This headnote does not form part of the decision....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 19893 News – item broadcast secret recording of comments made by National Party deputy leader Bill English – allegedly unfair Findings Standard 6 (fairness) – broadcast of anonymously supplied tape inherently unfair – however, Mr English had opportunity to comment, John Key provided comment, and 3 News informed viewers of circumstances surrounding the tape – degree of public interest leading up to election – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An item on 3 News, broadcast on TV3 at 6pm on 4 November 2008, reported that 3 News had been sent a secret recording of comments made by the deputy leader of the National Party, Bill English, at a cocktail party during National's August 2008 conference. The 3 News presenter said, The recording is clearly designed to derail John Key’s election campaign ....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 19893 News – item about launch of Green Party election campaign contained brief, out-of-focus background image of a person’s “butt crack” – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, privacy and fairness standards FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) and Standard 6 (fairness) – complaint frivolous and trivial – decline to determine under section 11(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 This headnote does not form part of the decision. Introduction [1] An item on 3 News, broadcast on TV3 at 6pm on 6 November 2011, reported on the launch of the Green Party’s election campaign. Green Party co-leader Russell Norman was shown addressing the attendees at the launch from a stage, and the camera panned down to focus on a baby in a pram. In the background of the shot of the baby, a person’s “butt crack” was briefly visible....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]A 3 News item reported on allegations of widespread doping amongst Russian athletes and included a reference to the disqualification of a Belarussian shot-putter at the London Olympics. The Authority did not uphold a complaint alleging the item was misleading, unbalanced and denigrated Russians by failing to differentiate between Belarus and Russia. The reporter accurately described the Belarussian athlete and the Russian Olympic team, and in the context of the item viewers would not have been misled into thinking Belarus and Russia were the same country. The item portrayed a range of significant viewpoints on the allegations of doping amongst Russian Olympic athletes and did not contain any material which discriminated against, or denigrated, Russians. Not Upheld: Accuracy, Controversial Issues, Discrimination and DenigrationIntroduction[1] A 3 News item reported on allegations of widespread doping amongst Russian athletes....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 19893 News – item reported on likely ban of guided heli-hunting on conservation land – contained file footage of commercial deer recovery – footage allegedly inaccurate, misleading and unfair FindingsStandard 5 (accuracy) – footage of commercial hunting would have misled viewers to believe that it applied directly to the story – footage should have been explained to ensure that viewers understood it related to commercial hunting which is a completely different industry to heli-hunting – broadcaster did not make reasonable efforts to ensure that the item did not mislead – upheld Standard 6 (fairness) – commercial hunting industry was not an “organisation” for the purposes of the standard – not upheld No Order This headnote does not form part of the decision....

Complaint3 News – child participants – mother’s consent – children of gang member sought by police FindingsPrivacy principle (i) – uphold Privacy principle (vii) – mother’s consent insufficient – not in children’s best interests – uphold No Order This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary An item about the "Screwdriver Gang" being sought by police was broadcast on 3 News on 25 January 2000 between 6. 00–7. 00pm. Footage was shown of two pre-school children whose father was a member of the gang. Miriam Rea complained to the Broadcasting Standards Authority under s. 8(1)(c) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 that the broadcast breached the children’s right to privacy. She said regardless of whether the mother had given permission for the filming, she deplored TV3’s decision to include the footage of the children in the item....

Summary [This summary does not form part of the decision. ] A 3 News item reported on the Labour Party’s election year conference, including details of the party’s education policy. The reporter referred to David Cunliffe ‘handing out an election year bribe’. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that this was unfair. Political parties should expect their policies will be subject to commentary and scrutiny, particularly leading up to a general election, and it is not uncommon to refer to election ‘bribes’ in political reporting. Not Upheld: Fairness Introduction [1] A 3 News item reported on the Labour Party’s election year conference, including details of the party’s education policy. The reporter said, ‘David Cunliffe sits down at Wellington High School handing out an election year bribe, promising every school student from intermediate up, their own computer’. The item was broadcast on TV3 on 5 July 2014....

CanWest TVWorks Ltd became TVWorks Ltd on 15 June 2007. Because the programme complained about was broadcast prior to this date, the broadcaster is still named as CanWest TVWorks Ltd. Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 The ComplaintA teenager who was reported in a 3 News item as “believed” to have died in a Christchurch house fire (which killed her father, her father’s wife, her grandmother and a boarder), complained that the item was inaccurate, and had “shocked, upset and angered” many of those who knew her. She claimed the item was also unfair, and breached her father’s privacy as well as her own. The Broadcaster’s ResponseCanWest argued that the item was accurate because the report said the identities of the four dead were “believed to be 58-year-old Japanese immigrant Junichi Tomonaga and his wife, his teenage daughter and his mother or mother-in-law”....

Complaint3 News – item about Parihaka commemoration – omission to provide full, accurate historical background – unbalanced FindingsStandard G14 – context – further historical information not required – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary An item about commemorative celebrations planned or held to mark significant dates for Parihaka descendants was broadcast on 3 News on TV3 at 6. 00pm on 25 March 2000. S R Hill complained to TV3 Network Services Ltd, the broadcaster, that the item did not provide full and accurate information about the history of Parihaka, and that it had been unbalanced and biased in favour of the Parihaka Maori as a result. TV3 responded that the modest amount of background material provided in the item was set out to explain the context of the events about which TV3 was reporting....

Complaint3 News – interview with actor Matt Damon included scenes from action movie "The Bourne Identity" – excessive violence – no warning – alarm children FindingsStandard 10 and Guideline 10g and Standard 9 – majority – sufficient care shown given item’s introduction and type of violence portrayed – no uphold – minority – material inappropriate in G rated time-slot – uphold Standard 1 and Guideline 1a – acceptable in context – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] An interview with actor Matt Damon while visiting Sydney was included in an item on 3 News broadcast by TV3 between 6. 00 – 7. 00pm on 28 August 2002. The interview included two fight scenes from his recent film "The Bourne Identity"....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 3 News – reported on the Government’s asset sales policy – included excerpts from interviews with opposition MPs, including Hone Harawira who said “bullshit” – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency and children’s interests standards Findings Standard 1 (good taste and decency), and Standard 9 (children’s interests) – the word “bullshit” was used by an MP to express his opinion on a controversial political issue – the comment provided information about a political response to the issue as well as providing insight into the characteristics of a political figure, and was therefore of high value in terms of freedom of expression – comment would not have surprised or distressed most viewers in the context of a political story screened during an unclassified news programme targeted at adults – broadcaster adequately considered children’s interests – not upheld This headnote does not form part of…...

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 19893 News – interview with motorbike stuntman at the Western Springs Speedway – showed footage of two men operating leaf blowers outside the speedway – allegedly in breach of privacyFindingsStandard 3 (privacy) – broadcast did not disclose that complainant was completing a community work sentence – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An item on 3 News, broadcast on TV3 at 6pm on 11 October 2006, included an interview with one of the “Crusty Demons” – a motorbike stunt team which was visiting New Zealand. The item was filmed mostly at the Western Springs Speedway. At the conclusion of the segment, footage of two men operating leaf blowers in a surrounding area of the speedway was shown....

Complaint under section 8(1A) of the Broadcasting Act 19893 News – item on house fire in the North Shore reported that a person had been found dead in the garage – included brief footage of the complainant and his wife who owned the house – allegedly in breach of privacy FindingsStandard 3 (privacy) – item did not disclose private facts about the complainant or his wife – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An item on 3 News, broadcast on TV3 at 6pm on 3 July 2010, reported on a house fire on the North Shore. The news reader stated that police were investigating after a person had been found dead in a car in a burning garage, and that the death was being treated as suspicious....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 3 News – report on a terrorist threat in America in run-up to Presidential election – presenter joked that the country was facing a nightmare other than the prospect of George W Bush being re-elected – allegedly in breach of good taste and decencyFindings Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – comment clearly a joke – no breach of good taste and decency – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] A 3 News item broadcast on 13 July 2004 on TV3 at 6pm reported on a terrorist threat in America in the run-up to the Presidential election. The presenter (John Campbell) said: The United States is suddenly confronting the prospect of a nightmare – no, not George W [Bush] being re-elected – but the election itself having to be cancelled....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 19893 News – interviewed Cyclone Yasi survivor – reporter stated “Jesus, what went through your mind? ” – allegedly in breach of standards relating to good taste and decency, and discrimination and denigration FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – “Jesus” used to convey exclamation of shock – contextual factors – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An item on 3 News, broadcast on TV3 at 6pm on Friday 4 February 2010, reported on Cyclone Yasi in Queensland. During the item, the reporter interviewed a survivor who explained that she had been sitting on the toilet when a big tree came through the wall, to which the reporter responded, “Jesus, what went through your mind?...

Complaint3 News – dismissal of teacher – sex with student – identity revealed – privacy FindingsPrivacy – facts in public domain – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary An item on 3 News broadcast on TV3 on 26 March 2000 reported that a female teacher had had a sexual relationship with a student at a school where she had taught. She was named in the report, and a photograph of her was included in the item. In addition there was film footage showing the reporter knocking at the door of her home. Kevin Niederberger complained to the Broadcasting Standards Authority under s. 8(1)(c) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 that the teacher’s right to privacy had been violated by naming her, showing her photograph and filming her at her workplace....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 19893 News – item reported on the Conservative Party leader and apparent party practices – allegedly in breach of discrimination and denigration standard FindingsStandard 7 (discrimination and denigration) – item was a legitimate and straightforward news report – did not encourage the denigration of, or discrimination against, any section of the community – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Introduction [1] An item on 3 News, broadcast on 7 May 2012 on TV3, was introduced by the newsreader as follows: Colin Craig’s Conservative Party has a distinctly Christian streak and so does his workplace. 3 News has learned it includes weekly prayers often led by him. Craig says it’s something other employers should adopt, just like Friday night drinks....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 19893 News – item reported on landslip affecting several homes in Bucklands Beach – stated that one house had been bought just five weeks prior to landslip through Trinity Real Estate, which was in liquidation, and that a LIM report was not obtained – allegedly in breach of balance, accuracy and fairness Findings Standard 4 (balance) – item did not discuss a controversial issue of public importance – not upheld Standard 5 (accuracy) – no inaccuracies – not upheld Standard 6 (fairness) – not unfair to Trinity Real Estate – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision....

Summary [This summary does not form part of the decision. ] 3 News reported on an incident in which Pam Corkery of the Internet-Mana Party swore at journalists. The Authority declined to uphold the complaint that the inclusion of the word 'shit' breached standards. Ms Corkery's choice of language was largely what made her behaviour newsworthy, and it was in the public interest to show viewers the footage uncensored. The inclusion of one swearword during an unclassified news programme targeted at adults did not threaten broadcasting standards. Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Children's Interests Introduction [1] A 3 News item briefly reported on an incident in which the Internet-Mana Party's press secretary, Pam Corkery, was filmed swearing at journalists at the party's campaign launch....