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Summary [This summary does not form part of the decision. ]The opening scenes of an episode of Rake included four instances of the word ‘fuck’. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that this constituted strong adult material which screened too close to the Adults Only 8. 30pm watershed. The language was not so frequent or offensive that it required a restriction to a later time, and was relevant to the narrative and to character development. The programme was also preceded by a clear warning for coarse language. Not Upheld: Children’s InterestsIntroduction[1] The opening scenes of an episode of Rake included four instances of the word ‘fuck’. The first two instances were in an exchange between two male characters arguing. The third was during an argument between the main character and his son, and the fourth was the main character muttering angrily to himself ‘fuck me’....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]An item on ONE News and a later ONE News update showed a highly-ranked New Zealand mixed martial artist's loss in an Ultimate Fighting Championship match, in which he was kicked and punched repeatedly in the head. The Authority declined to uphold two complaints that the footage was excessively violent because the level of physicality was not unexpected and acceptable in the context of a sport news story covering a fight. Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Responsible Programming, Children's Interests, ViolenceIntroduction[1] An item on ONE News and a later ONE News update showed a highly-ranked New Zealand mixed martial artist's loss in an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match, in which he was kicked and punched repeatedly in the head until the referee stopped the fight....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1991-041:Children's Media Watch and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1991-041 PDF788. 47 KB...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1997-040 Decision No: 1997-041 Dated the 17 day of April 1997 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of complaints by GEOFFREY DUFFY of Auckland and NANCY LISTER of Hastings Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Bones promo – contained footage of spiders and skeletal remains – broadcast during 3 News at approximately 6. 55pm – allegedly in breach of responsible programming and children’s interests standards FindingsStandard 8 (responsible programming) – promo correctly classified G – not upheld Standard 9 (children’s interests) – promo correctly classified – broadcaster adequately considered the interests of child viewers – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] A promo for Bones was broadcast at approximately 6. 55pm on 25 April 2010 during 3 News on TV3. [2] Bones was a drama series about a forensic anthropologist called upon by the FBI to solve complex murder cases....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 19897 Days – contained segment called “My Kid Could Draw That” – comments made about picture drawn by a child – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency and children’s interests Findings Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – unnecessary for child to be identified – linked young girl to ribald adult sexual humour – exploitative – upheld Standard 9 (children’s interests) – programme broadcast outside of children’s normally accepted viewing times – not upheld No Order This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An episode of the comedy programme 7 Days was broadcast on TV3 at 10pm on Friday 25 September 2009. The programme involved the host questioning two three-person teams of comedians about various events which had been reported in the media during the week....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Shortland Street – scene involved sexual encounter between two characters – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency and children’s interests Findings Standard 9 (children’s interests) – sexual activity was unambiguous – inappropriate for broadcast during children’s normally accepted viewing times – broadcaster did not adequately consider the interests of child viewers – upheld Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – subsumed into consideration of Standard 9 No OrderThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An episode of Shortland Street, broadcast on TV2 at 7pm on Wednesday 30 April 2008, included a scene in which two male characters, Gerald and Lindsay, were involved in a sexual encounter. Gerald and Lindsay were shown undressing and kissing; Gerald was in his underwear and Lindsay was shirtless, but still wearing his trousers....

Summary "Six Days in a Leaky Boat" was the name of the documentary broadcast on Inside New Zealand on TV3 at 8. 30pm on 24 March 1999. It featured six people in their twenties who were sailing a yacht in the Bay of Islands, and who had never met before. They were required to perform a number of objectives in difficult circumstances. Mr Stewart complained to TV3 Network Services Ltd, the broadcaster, that the language used and behaviour shown in a programme about boating was unacceptable and in breach of the standards. Furthermore, he wrote, the "foul" language used was advanced as acceptable, which amounted to a deceptive programme practice. Explaining that the programme was about the relationships between six people in their twenties who were required to perform difficult tasks, TV3 said that the unscripted programme captured their reactions....

SummaryWWF Raw and WWF Summerslam were broadcast consecutively on TV4 on 11 September 1999, from 8. 30pm to12. 00am. These programmes featured professional wrestling bouts which had been staged in front of live audiences. Mr Bridgman, Ms Crombie, Mr Little and Mr Bonner complained to TV3 Network Services Ltd, the broadcaster, that aspects of the behaviour shown in the programmes breached programme standards relating to good taste and decency, discrimination against women, and the effect of programmes on children and violence. TV3 explained that the "fights" in the programmes were choreographed, not real. It described the WWF shows as "neither sport nor drama but a kind of pageant" which it compared to a magic show. TV3 rejected every aspect of the complaints. Dissatisfied with TV3’s response, the complainants referred their complaints to the Broadcasting Standards Authority under s. 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989....

ComplaintHolmes – cure for acne – drug identified – side effects not reported – misleading – unbalanced – partial FindingsStandard G6 – not controversial issue to which the standard applies – decline to determine; other standards not relevant ObservationIssue to be considered when free-to-air code is revised This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary The availability of an effective treatment for acne was the subject of an item on Holmes broadcast on TV One on 23 March 2000 between 7. 00–7. 30pm. A dermatologist and a doctor were interviewed, as well as two young people who had both been successfully treated by a named drug. The Pharmaceutical Management Agency Ltd (PHARMAC) complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the broadcast was misleading and unbalanced. In particular it expressed its concern that the broadcaster had been used to promote a prescription medicine....

ComplaintPerfect Match – Featured a gay man in search of a male partner – broadcast during school holidays at 8. 30pm – alleged erroneous message – disturbing to children FindingsStandard 9 Guidelines 9a and 9c – broadcaster considered children’s viewing interests – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] An episode in the programme Perfect Match featured a gay man in search of a male partner. It was broadcast on TV One at 8. 30pm on Thursday 17 July 2003. [2] Mr Gardiner complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the programme, which screened at a time when “older” children were still watching television, contained a message that incorrectly implied gay relationships were normal. [3] In response, TVNZ noted that the programme was clearly classified Adults Only and disputed the view that the programme could harm children....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1992-021:Wislang and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1992-021 PDF333. 3 KB...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1997-119 Dated the 18th day of September 1997 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by SUZANNE MORTON AND DAVID GORDON of Wellington Broadcaster TV3 NETWORK SERVICES LIMITED S R Maling Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

Complaints under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Wolf Creek – horror film contained drugging, sexual violence, torture and murder – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, children’s interests and violence standards Findings Standard 10 (violence) – extremely disturbing violence – inadequate classification and warning – upheld Standard 9 (children’s interests) – outside children’s normally accepted viewing times – not upheld Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – subsumed into consideration of Standard 10 No Order This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] Wolf Creek, an Australian horror film, was broadcast on TV2 at 8. 30pm on Tuesday 11 March 2007. In the film, two women, Lizzy and Kristy, and their friend, Ben, travelled together to visit the meteorite crater at Wolf Creek National Park. When they returned from the crater, they discovered their car would not go....

Complaints under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Campbell Live – item reported on bullying at Massey High School – contained repeated footage of girls fighting – item was not preceded by a warning – parents and students interviewed expressed dissatisfaction at how the school had handled the incident – allegedly in breach of standards relating to privacy, accuracy, fairness, responsible programming, children’s interests, and violence FindingsStandard 3 (privacy) – students shown in the footage were not identifiable beyond those who would have already known about the altercation – not upheld Standard 6 (fairness) – item did not present itself as a follow-up to the previous story on bullying and was not unfair to X, his parents or Massey in this respect – impression created about fighting and bullying at Massey was not the result of unfairness but stemmed from the facts of the incident and the response of students and parents…...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 156 /95 Dated the 19th day of December 1995 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by PAUL McBRIDE of Rotorua Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod...

Summary [This summary does not form part of the decision. ] A promo for The Night Shift briefly showing a male and female passionately kissing screened during Shrek Forever After, which was classified G. The Authority upheld the complaint that the promo breached the responsible programming and children's interests standards, as the promo contained sexual material more properly falling within the PGR classification. The Authority did not make any order. Upheld: Responsible Programming, Children's Interests No Order Introduction [1] A promo for The Night Shift briefly showing a male and female passionately kissing screened during Shrek Forever After, which was classified G. 1 [2] Carol Henderson complained that it was inappropriate to show this promo for an AO programme during a G-rated movie and that it would have distressed and embarrassed children....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News promo – covered the conflict between Russia and Georgia – contained footage of an injured woman sitting in rubble with fire and destroyed buildings around her – allegedly in breach of children’s interests Findings Standard 9 (children’s interests) – footage of distressed and injured woman likely to be upsetting to children watching the Olympics – broadcaster did not adequately consider the interests of child viewers – upheld No Order This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] A promo for One News, broadcast during coverage of the Olympic Games at approximately 5pm on Sunday 10 August 2008, contained the headlines of three stories....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Four promos broadcast prior to 8. 30pm – three for programme Bad Girls – one for quiz show How Normal Are You? – allegedly in breach of standards relating to good taste and decency, programme classification, children’s interests and violenceFindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – contextual factors – not upheld Standard 7 (programme classification) – Bad Girls – material suitable to be rated PGR – not upheld – How Normal Are You? – material suitable to be rated G – not upheld by majority Standard 9 (children’s interests) – Bad Girls – material appropriate to be rated PGR – not upheld – How Normal Are You?...