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Summary [This summary does not form part of the decision. ]The song 'Smile' by Lily Allen was broadcast during MORE FM Breakfast with Si and Gary. The song included one muted use of the word 'fucking'. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that the item breached standards of good taste and decency as the word 'fucking' was not clearly audible and occurred only once in the song. Not Upheld: Good Taste and DecencyIntroduction[1] The song 'Smile' by Lily Allen was broadcast during MORE FM Breakfast with Si and Gary. The opening lyrics of the song included one instance of the word 'fucking', which was partly muted. [2] Christine McCabe complained that the word 'fucking' was 'quite audible'. [3] The issue is whether the broadcast breached the good taste and decency standard of the Radio Code of Broadcasting Practice....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1993-005:Georgeson and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1993-005 PDF365. 46 KB...

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....

An item on Prime News inadvertently contained an uncensored image of the word ‘cunt’. The Authority has not upheld a complaint alleging the action taken by the broadcaster in response to this error was insufficient. The broadcaster upheld the complaint under the good taste and decency standard and took steps to address the error with its news producers. The broadcaster also apologised to the complainant. Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency (Action Taken)...

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989The Tudors – included a scene in which a man was tortured by having a burning hot steel rod pushed up his backside – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, law and order and violence standards FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – contextual factors – not upheld Standard 2 (law and order) – did not promote, glamorise or condone torture – not upheld Standard 10 (violence) – broadcaster exercised adequate care and discretion with the issue of violence – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An episode of The Tudors, a drama series about the reign and marriages of King Henry VIII, was broadcast on TV One at 8. 30pm on Sunday 1 November 2010. The programme included a brief scene in which a rebel leader was tortured....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989True Stories Uncut: Tantastic – contained shots of naked man – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency Findings Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – footage was not titillating or salacious – contextual factors – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] A documentary titled True Stories Uncut: Tantastic was broadcast on Prime Television at 9. 35pm on Friday 30 January 2009. The programme spoke to a number of people, described as “tanorexics”, who were obsessed with tanning, either naturally or through the use of sun beds or spray tans in salons. [2] At approximately 9. 55pm, the programme featured a middle-aged man who liked to sunbathe naked. He was shown undressing then lying naked in his backyard, mowing the lawns naked, and then walking down a beach naked....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Breakfast – one host made anti-Australian and anti-French remarks – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency and denigratory to the French. FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – denigration of French was essence of complaint – subsumed under Standard 6Standard 6 and guideline 6g (denigration) – high threshold for denigration not met – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] Breakfast is a news and magazine programme broadcast each weekday on TV One between 7. 00–9. 00am. On 17 July 2006, the hosts were involved in a light-hearted discussion about the marketing of New Zealand and lower-priced Chilean wine in some stores in Australia, when one of the hosts asked viewers: “Don’t you just hate Australians? ” He said that he did so, and added: “It used to be the French”....

ComplaintMost Wanted – music video – "Hey Boy Hey Girl" by The Chemical Brothers – depiction of two skeletons having sex – breach of good taste and decency – broadcaster not mindful of the effect of broadcast on young children FindingsStandard G2 – video acceptable in context for general audience – no uphold Standard G12 – unsuitable for children when broadcast at 9. 30am on Saturday morning – uphold No Order This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary The music video "Hey Boy Hey Girl" by The Chemical Brothers, broadcast on TV3 during the programme Most Wanted at 9. 30am on 10 February 2001, depicted a young man and woman who morphed into skeletons and then back into humans. The skeletons appeared to be having sex....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989New Zealand’s Next Top Model – contestants posed semi-naked and covered in mud for a photo shoot – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency standardFindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – nudity effectively masked by mud and steam – contextual factors – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] During an episode of the reality TV series New Zealand’s Next Top Model, broadcast on TV3 at 7. 30pm on Friday 20 August 2010, a group of young girls were filmed posing for a photo shoot, semi-naked in geothermal mud pools. [2] The footage included various shots of the girls posing for a female photographer, wearing bikinis and accessories, with their bodies covered in mud....

SummaryA controversial exhibition of works by American artist Keith Haring, then showing at Wellington City Gallery, was featured on Backch@t. The programme included an interview with the Rev Graham Capill who had claimed the works were offensive. During the interview, he held up to the camera a drawing by Haring which he claimed depicted bestiality. The programme was broadcast on TV One at midday and 10. 40 pm on 25 April 1999. Mr Thomas complained to Television New Zealand Limited, the broadcaster, that the footage of the drawing was indecent and tasteless, particularly as it was broadcast at a time when children were able to view the programme. Because the programme was pre-recorded, there had been time to edit or obscure the picture, he wrote....

ComplaintCOW AM – offensive behaviour – offensive language – questions about sex life FindingsStandard G2 – AO – 10. 00pm – explicit questions – context – uphold Cross-referenceDecision Nos: 2000-100–101 Order$250 costs to the Crown This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary An episode of COW AM was broadcast on Channel 9 Dunedin on 29 May 2000. The programme included a sequence during which two young women and a man were questioned by the programme’s presenter about their recent sexual exploits. The programme was broadcast at around 10. 00pm. Mr J G Donaldson complained to Channel 9 Dunedin, the broadcaster, that he was "appalled" by the broadcast of what he called the "indecent interviews"....

Complaint One News – offensive behaviour – scantily-clad woman – unsuitable for children FindingsStandard G2 – brief footage – no uphold Standard G12 – not unsuitable for children – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary A charity hair dressing event was the subject of an item on One News broadcast on TV One on 6 February. The item included a brief shot of a woman dancer who was one of the entertainers at the event. Kristian Harang complained to Television New Zealand Ltd that it was offensive to show the scantily-clad woman’s "naked backside" in prime family viewing time. He considered that many children watching would have been led to believe it was normal to be naked in public. In its response, TVNZ pointed out that the woman was not naked but was wearing a thong....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 19893 News Special – programme entitled “Let Us Spray” – discussed some of the issues surrounding the manufacture of chemicals at the Dow Chemical plant in Paritutu – showed images of babies born with various deformities – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency and children’s interests Findings Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – contextual factors – not upheld Standard 9 (children’s interests) – subject matter easily recognisable as being appropriate for adults – clear and sufficient warnings immediately prior to images being shown – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] A 3 News Special entitled “Let Us Spray” was broadcast at 7pm on 23 October 2006. The programme discussed some of the issues surrounding the manufacture of chemicals – particularly 2,4,5T – at the Dow Chemical plant in Paritutu....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Trinny and Susannah: The Great British Body – large group of naked British people formed a sculpture of a naked person – contained full frontal nudity – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – nudity was matter-of-fact and non-sexual – programme aimed to convey uplifting message about people accepting their bodies – contextual factors – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] The final episode of Trinny and Susannah: The Great British Body was broadcast on TV One at 2pm on Saturday 25 July 2009. Throughout the series, style gurus Trinny and Susannah had travelled across Britain talking to people about their naked bodies, with the aim of changing the way Britons viewed their bodies and celebrating the qualities that made each of them unique....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Line of Beauty – episode of programme about a young gay Oxford graduate included homosexual sex scenes – allegedly breached standards of good taste and decency Findings Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – contextual factors – not upheld (This headnote does not form part of the decision. ) Broadcast [1] An episode of the drama Line of Beauty was broadcast at 11. 50pm on TV One on Sunday 28 October 2007. Line of Beauty followed a young, gay, middle class Oxford graduate Nick who was invited to live with a wealthy and politically powerful family in the 1980s. [2] This episode contained several sex scenes. In one scene, Nick watched as his boyfriend and another man appeared to engage in oral sex....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1993-010–024: Sharp and 6 Others and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1993-010–024 PDF3. 96 MB...

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1992-065:Boscott and Radio New Zealand Ltd - 1992-065 PDF191. 79 KB...

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1991-011:Town and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1991-011 PDF499. 97 KB...

SummaryA special Assignment programme broadcast on TV One on 31 May 1998 at 6. 30pm focused on the trial of Malcolm Rewa, accused and found guilty of a large number of sexual attacks on women. It replaced the advertised Our World programme. Mrs Mitchell complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, about the time of the broadcast, which she said breached standards of good taste and decency, and the fact that it replaced a programme watched unsupervised by many children. She noted that no warning had been given about the change to the schedule, but even if it had, she observed, many families would not have been aware of the warning. In its response, TVNZ noted that Rewa’s trial, which had concluded the previous day, had elicited a great deal of public interest....