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Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Morning Report – interview with Larry Baldock about the citizens-initiated referendum on smacking – host asked the interviewee a question nine times challenging him to give an answer – host interrupted interviewee on several occasions – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, controversial issues, accuracy, fairness and discrimination and denigration standards FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – contextual factors – not upheld Standard 4 (controversial issues – viewpoints) – host played the role of devil’s advocate – significant points of view presented – not upheld Standard 5 (accuracy) – item did not mislead – not upheld Standard 6 (fairness) – interviewee was robustly challenged and given an adequate opportunity to express his views – not upheld Standard 7 (discrimination and denigration) – standard not applicable – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Easy Mix news – report stated that Christchurch man had pleaded guilty to murdering his wife and neighbour and to having sexual intercourse with his victims’ bodies after strangling them – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency Findings Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – details of the case were widely reported – standard does not apply to certain groups of people or individuals – contextual factors – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] A news report was broadcast on Easy Mix radio station at 2pm on Monday 9 November 2009. The news reader said: In this update, the Christchurch man who’s admitted to killing two women and burying them under his house will be sentenced at the end of the month....

The Authority declined to determine a complaint regarding a news item covering the expansion of a sexual violence court pilot. The complainant submitted that the victim advocate interviewed in the item should not have been interviewed and should not have been referred to as a rape survivor. The Authority concluded that, in all the circumstances of the complaint, it should not be determined by the Authority. The Authority found the concerns raised in the complaint are matters of editorial discretion and personal preference rather than broadcasting standards, and are therefore not capable of being determined by the broadcasting standards complaints procedure. Declined to determine: Good Taste and Decency, Programme Information, Violence, Law and Order, Discrimination and Denigration, Balance, Accuracy, Privacy, Fairness...

The Authority has declined to determine five complaints about different Newshub Live broadcasts under several standards, on the basis they were trivial, vexatious, or in all the circumstances, did not warrant determination. Decline to determine (section 11(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 – trivial and vexatious, and section 11(b) in all the circumstances the complaint should not be determined): Accuracy, Children’s Interests, Good Taste and Decency, Discrimination and Denigration, Programme Information, Law and Order...

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1993-111:Stephens and Radio 95bFM - 1993-111 PDF290. 74 KB...

Warning: This decision contains language that some readers may find offensive. Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]The song ‘Fire Water Burn’ by the Bloodhound Gang was broadcast on The Rock FM at 5. 45pm on 25 October 2017. The song contained the word ‘motherfucker’, which was partially censored, and also contained lyrics such as, ‘but if I crashed into Uranus I would stick it where the sun don't shine’. The Authority did not uphold a complaint that the song, in its edited format, breached the good taste and decency standard. The Authority acknowledged that the censoring could have been more effective in disguising the word used, and that some of the lyrics may offend listeners....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1990-028:Bartlett (on behalf of the Society for Protection of Community Standards) and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1990-028 PDF1. 26 MB...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 104/95 Dated the 12th day of October 1995 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by WENDY JOHNSTON of Christchurch Broadcaster RADIO PACIFIC LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1996-175 Decision No: 1996-176 Dated the 12th day of December 1996 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of complaints by TEMALOTI FAKAOSI (2) of Auckland 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 1989Close Up – interview with Professor Richard Dawkins about his views on religious faith – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, controversial issues, fairness, discrimination and denigration, and responsible programming standards FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – contextual factors – not upheld Standard 4 (controversial issues – viewpoints) – item focused on Professor Dawkins’ views – no discussion of a controversial issue of public importance – not upheld Standard 6 (fairness) – no person or organisation treated unfairly – not upheld Standard 7 (discrimination and denigration) – guideline 7a exception for legitimate expression of opinion – comments did not contain sufficient invective to encourage denigration or discrimination – not upheld Standard 8 (responsible programming) – programme would not have caused panic, alarm or undue distress – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Peewee’s Sister – children’s short story about a boy who was being bullied for his school lunch – story contained two parts involving scuffles between characters – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, law and order and social responsibility Findings Principle 7 (social responsibility) – theme of a bully being beaten by his own tactics of physical force not inappropriate for a children’s story – broadcaster sufficiently considered the story’s effect on child listeners – not upheld Principle 1 (good taste and decency) – subsumed into consideration of Principle 7 Principle 2 (law and order) – subsumed into consideration of Principle 7 This headnote does not form part of the decision....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Popetown – animated comedy set in a fictional Vatican City – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, unfair and denigratoryFindingsPreliminary findings – Authority applied TVNZ v VoTE approach to New Zealand Bill of Rights Act – Authority must consider whether finding a breach of standards would impose unreasonable limitation on free speech Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – contextual factors favour broadcaster – public interest does not require finding a breach of standards simply because broadcasts lampooned Catholicism – not upheld Standard 6 (fairness) and guideline 6g (denigration) – high threshold in light of protection given to satire in 6(g)(iii) – threshold one of vitriol or hate speech – fact that offence caused of itself insufficient to find breach of standard – programmes not realistic as complainant alleged – not upheld Standard 6 (fairness) – satirical programmes would only be unfair in…...

Complaint under s. 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Spooks – language – “fuck you” – allegedly offensive – warning requiredFindings Standard 1 (good taste and decency) and Guidelines 1a and 1b – context – warning not necessary – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] Spooks is a BBC drama series built around the activities of a fictional counter-terrorism unit attached to MI5. MI5 is the government agency responsible for internal security. In an episode beginning at 9. 30pm broadcast on TV One on 24 February 2004, one character said to another “fuck you”. Complaint [2] Ken Francis complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that such language was offensive and the programme should have been preceded with a warning. Standards [3] TVNZ assessed the complaint under Standard 1 and Guidelines 1a and 1b of the Free-to-Air Television Code of Broadcasting Practice....

ComplaintNewstalk ZB – talk – host Paul Holmes – host’s comment – sticking out like dog balls – offensive language FindingsPrinciple 1 – colloquial – not offensive in context – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary A report about sport and recreation was referred to during the talk programme on Newstalk ZB between 7. 00–8. 00am on 31 January 2001. The host (Paul Holmes) said that one conclusion "stuck out like dog balls". D Brazier complained to The Radio Network Ltd, the broadcaster, that the comment was offensive. Explaining that the host was quoting a Committee member and that it was delivered in a conversational tone, TRN denied that the comment would cause any major offence among an audience aged 35 plus which listened Newstalk ZB. It declined to uphold the complaint....

ComplaintSex and the City – fuck – offensive language FindingsStandard G2 – context – 9. 30pm – AO Classification – warning verbal and written – well known series – not offensive in context – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary An episode of Sex and the City told the story of a man who exclaimed the words "fucking bitch" during sexual intercourse. Sex and the City was broadcast weekly on TV3 at 9. 30pm and the episode complained about was screened on 5 June 2001. Grant Nesdale complained to TV3 Network Services Ltd, the broadcaster, that the language was offensive. In response, TV3 referred to viewers’ expectations of the well-known series, the rating, the time of broadcast and the warning. It declined to uphold the complaint. Dissatisfied with TV3's response, Mr Nesdale referred the complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority under s....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Campbell Live – host interviewed members of New Zealand Actors’ Equity union on controversy surrounding production of the film The Hobbit in New Zealand – the host stated, “So there is not some Australian with his or her hand up your bum operating you like a puppet?...

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989TVNZ News at 8pm – newsreader used the phrase, “Christ that hurt” – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency standard FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – viewers may have considered the comment mildly inappropriate in the context of a news programme – but was clearly intended to be humorous – within broadcaster’s right to freedom of expression – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An item on TVNZ News at 8pm, broadcast on TVNZ 7 at 8pm on Tuesday 12 July 2011, reported on the birth of a 16-pound baby in Texas, named Ja. During the item, the newsreader commented, “Ja means, ‘Christ that hurt’....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1992-032:Clements and Radio New Zealand Ltd - 1992-032 PDF331. 3 KB...

Summary [This summary does not form part of the decision. ] An item on The Paul Henry Show featured a recent Police press release about a so-called tourist who had reportedly been driving with a kayak attached width-ways to the roof of his car. The presenter commented that the man was ‘a bloody twat’ and that his actions ‘pissed him off’. The Authority did not uphold a complaint about the presenter’s choice of language and his denigration of foreign tourists. In the context of a late-night programme and the presenter’s well-known style, the language did not threaten current norms of good taste and decency and ‘foreign tourists’ are not a section of the community to which the discrimination and denigration standard applies....