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Summary [This summary does not form part of the decision. ] During The Chase, a British quiz show, the host introduced one of the trivia experts as ‘“The Governess” Anne Hegerty – big brain, big bo…ots? ’ to audience laughter. The Authority declined to uphold a complaint that the host commented on Ms Hegerty’s ‘big boobs’ which was discriminatory against women, distasteful and unfair to Ms Hegerty, among other things. While the comment may have offended some viewers, it did not reach the threshold necessary to find a breach of broadcasting standards. Not Upheld: Discrimination and Denigration, Good Taste and Decency, Fairness, Responsible Programming, Accuracy   Introduction [1] During The Chase, a British quiz show, the host introduced the four trivia experts (the ‘chasers’) as follows: Who will you be up against today? Could it be Paul ‘The Sinnerman’ Sinha – big brain, bad suit?...

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]Two hosts on George FM Breakfast asked listeners to send in the names and profiles of female users of Instagram described as ‘do-nothing bitches’. The names of two women, A and B, were submitted. The hosts went on to comment extensively on A’s profile, making inappropriate and disparaging comments about her, and also contacted A and interviewed her on air. The Authority upheld a complaint that the action taken by MediaWorks having found breaches of the fairness and good taste and decency standards was insufficient, and also found that the broadcast breached the privacy of both women....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]An episode of Cold Feet, a British comedy-drama series which followed the intertwining lives of three couples at different stages in their relationships, contained sex scenes. The Authority did not uphold a complaint that the sex scenes breached the children’s interests and good taste and decency standards. Cold Feet was not targeted at child viewers, it was classified Adults Only and broadcast during an appropriate timeband, and was preceded by a specific warning for sex scenes. The level of sexual content was not overly explicit and was justified by the episode’s narrative context. Overall the broadcaster adequately ensured child viewers could be protected from adult content, and the episode would not have offended or surprised the general viewing audience....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]A complaint about a Newshub item in which the presenter commented, ‘And I thought the only reason we watch Aussie Rules [AFL] was for the short shorts’, has not been upheld by the Authority. The Authority found that the comment, while inappropriate, did not reach the threshold to be considered a serious violation of community norms of good taste and decency. The Authority acknowledged the importance of contextual factors in considering whether the standards have been breached, including the nature of Newshub as an unclassified news programme and audience expectations of the broadcast. The Authority recognised that the statement was not made with malice or nastiness and found the comment did not breach the discrimination and denigration, balance or fairness standards....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1992-090:Toomer and TV3 Network Services Ltd - 1992-090 PDF243. 66 KB...

Complaint Marae – live broadcast of Aotearoa Traditional Performing Arts Festival – haka – whakapohane – nudity – buttocks – testicles – offensive behaviour FindingsStandard G2 – brief – indistinct – modified version of traditional Maori challenge – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary A special edition of Marae which was broadcast live from the "Aotearoa Traditional Performing Arts Festival" screened on TV One from 8. 30am until midday on 6 February 2000. Mr Potts complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that a haka performed during the programme was "grossly offensive". He objected to what he considered were close up shots of male performers’ naked buttocks and testicles. TVNZ responded that the footage had not been as explicit as Mr Potts had described....

Complaint under section 8(1C) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Ski FM – during 16 July broadcast presenter made comment about sucking diarrhoea out of someone’s bottom with a straw – during 18 July broadcast presenter made comment about drinking pig’s urine – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – comment about drinking pigs urine puerile, but not so offensive as to breach Standard 1 – comment about sucking diarrhoea out of someone’s bottom with a straw went well beyond what listeners would expect to hear on radio – comment would have offended a significant number of listeners – upheld OrderSection 16(4) – costs to the Crown $500 This headnote does not form part of the decision....

The Authority has upheld a complaint about a broadcast of The DailyMail TV, finding that footage broadcast during the programme was inappropriate for the PGR classification and time of broadcast, and required an audience advisory for disturbing content. The programme was broadcast at 3. 30pm on a weekday, and featured partially censored footage of an American stabbing victim in the moments before she died. While the woman’s injuries were blurred, her distressed facial expression and blood splatters on the floor were visible. A second story featured censored footage of two 19-year-old women who claimed they had been drugged, filmed inside a bar naked and allegedly performing sex acts. The Authority found that this content went beyond what could be expected from a PGR-classified programme broadcast during children’s normally accepted viewing times and that the programme should have been classified AO – Adults Only....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]The Rock Morning Rumble included a stunt featuring the Prime Minister, in which he was invited to enter a cage installed in the studio and ‘pick up the soap’. Upon the Prime Minister doing so, the host quoted a recognised rape scene from the film Deliverance, saying, ‘You’ve got a pretty little mouth Prime Minister’. The Authority upheld a complaint that the stunt amounted to a deliberate reference to prison rape that had the effect of trivialising sexual violence and specifically prison rape. While the segment was allegedly intended to be humorous, which is an important aspect of the exercise of free speech, the stunt overstepped the boundaries of legitimate humour and was offensive....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]A promo for Face Off, a reality competition show in which the contestants are special effects make-up artists, screened during the animated movie Chicken Run. The Authority upheld a complaint that the promo breached standards of good taste and decency. The promo’s images of gory and wounded prosthetic body parts went beyond audience expectations of a G-rated family movie and were likely to distress child viewers. The Authority however did not agree that the images showed ‘violence’ or violent acts as envisaged by the violence standard. Upheld: Good Taste and DecencyNot Upheld: ViolenceOrder: Section 16(4) $500 costs to the CrownIntroduction[1] A promo for Face Off, a reality competition show in which the contestants are special effects make-up artists, screened during Chicken Run, an animated family movie which was rated G (for general audiences)....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]During the Leighton Smith Show, presenter Leighton Smith, in relation to a headline regarding Pope Francis’ warning to then President-elect Donald Trump, ‘do not back away from UN climate pact’, said, ‘I don’t want to offend, certainly not insult, any Catholics listening, but how did you end up with this tosser? ’ The Authority did not uphold a complaint that this comment was derogatory, crude and demeaning. Mr Smith was entitled to express his opinion on the Pope’s stance on climate change and while his comment was considered offensive by the complainant, in the context of a talkback radio show, the Authority did not consider it undermined current norms of good taste and decency....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]An item on Morning Report featured an interview between presenter Kim Hill and a seismologist from GNS Science, following a 4. 3-magnitude earthquake the previous night. At the beginning of the interview, during a discussion of the seismologist’s initial reaction to the earthquake, Ms Hill said, ‘WTF’. The Authority did not uphold a complaint that the use of the term ‘WTF’ in this broadcast was unacceptable and a breach of the good taste and decency standard. The Authority found that, taking into account relevant contextual factors, including the nature of the programme, audience expectations of RNZ and Kim Hill, and the fact that the offensive word implied was not explicitly stated in the broadcast, the use of ‘WTF’ did not threaten community norms of taste and decency, or justify restricting the right to freedom of expression....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Taken – movie about former CIA officer’s mission to rescue his daughter from foreign slave traders – contained violent scenes including torture, fighting and shootings – allegedly in breach of standards relating to good taste and decency, children’s interests and violence FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – contextual factors – not upheld Standard 9 (children’s interests) – violent material broadcast outside children’s normally accepted viewing times – not upheld Standard 10 (violence) – broadcaster exercised adequate care and discretion when dealing with the issue of violence – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] Taken, a fictitious action thriller about a former CIA officer’s mission to rescue his daughter from foreign slave traders, was broadcast on TV3 at 8. 30pm on Monday 31 January 2011....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989The Claim Game – profiled story behind insurance claim involving car accident in which driver died – included re-enactment of crash and footage of car – allegedly in breach of standards relating to good taste and decency, privacy and accuracy Findings Standard 3 (privacy) – privacy standard does not apply to deceased individuals – complainant and her family members not identified – no private facts disclosed about complainant or her family members – item focused on retrieval of car for insurance purposes and not the driver so disclosure of information would not be considered highly offensive to objective reasonable person – not upheld Standard 5 (accuracy) – computer graphic not a material point of fact – graphic clearly speculative – not upheld Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – investigator’s comments directed at car retrieval and how expensive it was – not directed at driver…...

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Breakfast – news item reported on death of motorcyclist on racing track – included footage of the accident – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency standard FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – footage was brief and shot from a distance – contextual factors – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] A news item during Breakfast, broadcast on TV One at approximately 7. 05am on Monday 6 September, reported on the death of a motorcyclist. The news reader stated, “In sport, there’s been an horrific death in the 250cc section of the Moto GP in San Marino. Japanese rider Shoya Tomizawa on the red bike was killed after being hit by two others in this incident. The other two riders escaped serious injury....

Complaint under section 8(1)(b) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Radio Active – impromptu rap segment – complaint that rap was derogatory towards women and contained excessive swearing – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency FindingsRecording of broadcast not available – decline to determine under section 11(b) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] During the "Freestyle" section of the Wednesday Night Jam, a hip hop radio show broadcast on Radio Active on 29 November 2006, aspiring young rappers were invited to perform impromptu rap between 10. 45pm and 11pm. Complaint [2] Andrew Wood made a formal complaint to Radio Active 89FM, the broadcaster, under Principle 1 of the Radio Code....

Summary An excerpt from the performance of the Paul Taylor Dance Company was shown at the conclusion of One Network News broadcast on TV One on 25 November between 6. 00–7. 00pm. Kristian Harang complained to Television New Zealand Ltd that the item, which he said showed naked men, breached acceptable standards of decency and also was offensive to children who might have been watching. TVNZ responded that all of the dancers, both men and women, were wearing patterned tights. It noted that ballet tights were part of the normal attire for both classical and modern dance performances. In the circumstances, it concluded that no standards were relevant. Dissatisfied with TVNZ’s decision, Mr Harang referred the complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority under s. 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989. For the reasons given below, the Authority declines to uphold the complaint....

Complaints under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Babel – young female movie character shown exposing her genitals at approximately 9. 01pm – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, children's interests and responsible programming standards FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – genital nudity brief and indistinct – relevant to storyline – contextual factors – not upheld Standard 9 (children's interests) – broadcaster adequately considered the interests of child viewers – not upheld Standard 8 (responsible programming) – movie correctly classified AO – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] A movie called Babel was broadcast on TV One at 8. 30pm on Saturday 14 August 2010. The film followed four seemingly unrelated stories about people living in different parts of the world that eventually intertwined and led back to a powerful gun bought by a Moroccan goat herder....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Family Guy – cartoon comedy – scene implied killing of cat with a razor – character was continuously splattered with blood as he sliced the cat off-screen and cat squealed – character stated, “. . ....