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ComplaintOne News – item about Olympic flame runner being accosted by spectator – offensive language – ballsed-upFindingsStandard G2 – not offensive in context – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the Decision. Summary A news item broadcast on One News on 11 September 2000 between 6. 00–7. 00pm showed an athlete who was running with the Olympic torch being accosted by a spectator who was attempting to snatch the torch. The runner, when interviewed, said about the man that he had "really ballsed it up". Paul Schwabe complained to Television New Zealand Ltd that the phrase "balls-up" was "gutter language" which was plainly indecent and should not be broadcast. TVNZ responded to the complaint by noting that it raised two questions....

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 12/94 Dated the 5th day of April 1994 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by CHARLES B. HARPER of Auckland Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED I. W. Gallaway Chairperson J. R. Morris R. A. Barraclough L. M. Dawson...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 139/95 Dated the 30th day of November 1995 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by DAVID TROOP of Hamilton Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1996-026 Decision No: 1996-027 Dated the 7th day of March 1996 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of complaints by SUZI ARCHER of Wellington Broadcaster PIRATE FM of Wellington J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

ComplaintTarget – description of house cleaner as tradesperson – denigration of tradespeople – inaccurate – unfair – unbalanced – offensive Findings (1) Standard G1 – no inaccuracy – no uphold (2) Standard G2 – no uphold (3) Standard G4 – no unfairness – no uphold (4) Standard G13 – no denigration or discrimination – genuinely held opinion – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary An episode of Target broadcast on TV3 at 7. 00pm on 14 May 2000 featured footage of employees of four Hamilton house cleaning services who had been secretly filmed as part of a hidden camera trial. One of the male cleaners had been filmed engaging in improper sexual behaviour....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News Tonight – item about washing machine for dogs – at the end of the item the presenter said, “And then you hang them by their front paws on the washing line” – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – comment was intended to be humorous – contextual factors – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An item on One News Tonight, broadcast on TV One at 11pm on Wednesday 17 March 2010, reported on the invention of a washing machine for dogs in Japan. A dog was shown being washed and then blow-dried in the machine. Following the story, the news reader said, holding up his hands, “And then you hang them by their front paws on the washing line....

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1997-014 Dated the 27th day of February 1997 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by CHRISTOPHER S INGRAM of Tauranga Broadcaster TV3 NETWORK SERVICES LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News – item reported that Olympic medallist Nadzeya Ostapchuk had missed the deadline to appeal her positive drugs test – sports reporter commented that this meant New Zealander Valerie Adams was “one step closer to getting her gold medal”, and the presenter made reference to Belarus’s “crazy president” – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, law and order, controversial issues, accuracy, fairness, discrimination and denigration, and responsible programming standards FindingsStandards 1 (good taste and decency), 2 (law and order), 4 (controversial issues), 5 (accuracy), 6 (fairness), 7 (discrimination and denigration) and 8 (responsible programming) – sports reporter and presenter were engaging in light-hearted banter and their comments did not carry any malice or invective – that New Zealand allegedly had a worse history of cheating than Belarus is not an issue of broadcasting standards – not upheld This headnote does not…...

Decision The members of the Authority have viewed a tape of the film complained about and have read the correspondence which is listed in the Appendix. On this occasion, the Authority determines the complaint without a formal hearing. Mulholland Falls, a film about organised crime in Los Angeles, was broadcast on TV2 on 25 October 1999 beginning at 8. 30pm. It followed the adventures of a special police squad which had been set up to destroy gangs. Stuart Maclean complained to TVNZ that the opening sequence, which depicted what he said was the beginning of oral sex, was not of a standard consistent with good taste and decency and was completely unacceptable at 8. 30pm on a channel which purported to be a family channel. TVNZ assessed the complaint under standards G2 and G12 of the Television Code of Broadcasting Practice....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]During an episode of Shortland Street, one of the characters, Harper, used the exclamation ‘Oh, Jesus…’ to express her shock and disgust at a flood of sewage in her new home. A promo for this episode, broadcast during the weather report on 1 News, also included Harper using this expression. The Authority received a complaint that this language was blasphemous and offensive, and in the case of the promo, inappropriate for broadcast during 1 News at 6pm when children might be watching. The Authority acknowledged that the complainant, and others in the community, might find this type of language offensive. However, the Authority has consistently found that these type of expressions are commonly used as exclamations in our society....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]The Authority has not upheld a complaint about an interview between Checkpoint’s John Campbell and former United States television personality, Matt Lauer, who at the time was involved in controversy regarding public access to his New Zealand property. The complainant alleged that Mr Campbell unfairly emphasised the New Zealand Overseas Investment Office’s (OIO) reassessment of Mr Lauer under its ‘good character test’, and later made false allegations about who had initially raised this topic. The Authority found that the circumstances of the OIO’s assessment were directly relevant to the discussion and that this was raised again later in the interview by Mr Lauer himself. Mr Lauer was given ample opportunity during the interview to present his perspective on his treatment by New Zealand media and the issue of foreign land ownership and public access....

Summary [This summary does not form part of the decision]A ONE News item showed security footage of a violent attack on a liquor store worker by four men to assist police in identifying and apprehending the attackers. Two explicit warnings were given prior to the footage. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that the violence shown was gratuitous. It was an important news story aimed at identifying and catching the attackers and was accompanied by clear warnings from the broadcaster. Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Violence, Responsible ProgrammingIntroduction[1] A ONE News item showed a violent attack on a liquor store worker by four men. The security footage showed the store worker being punched, kicked and dragged across the store, having a bottle of spirits smashed over his head and being kicked in the head as he lay on the ground....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1992-003:Lyons and XS Radio Ltd - 1992-003 PDF237. 95 KB...

The Broadcasting Standards Authority has not upheld a complaint that a clip from Family Guy, featured in a promo montage for upcoming programmes on TVNZ, breached the good taste and decency standard. The clip showed Peter Griffin, a male cartoon character, sitting on a chair and opening his legs to show his genitals (which were pixelated). The Authority found that, given the time of the broadcast was after 9pm, the fact that Family Guy is a cartoon comedy and that the scene was brief, the promo was not outside audience expectations and did not undermine current norms of good taste and decency. The Authority therefore found any restriction on the right to freedom of expression would be unjustified. Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint about the use of ‘Jesus’ as an exclamation in an episode of Shortland Street. The complaint was the use of ‘Jesus’ in this way disrespected New Zealanders who use that name only in prayer. The Authority acknowledged the complainant, and others in the community, find the language used offensive. However, as it has previously determined, the use of variations of ‘Jesus’ and ‘Christ’ as exclamations did not threaten community standards of good taste and decency. Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency  ...

Warning: This decision contains language that some readers may find offensive. The Authority has not upheld a complaint that use of the phrase ‘thank fucking Christ’ in an interview segment during the Aotearoa Music Awards breached the good taste and decency standard. In the context, particularly noting the timing of the broadcast, pre-broadcast warnings and public interest in the relevant segment, the Authority considered the programme unlikely to cause widespread undue offence, or distress, or to undermine widely shared community standards. Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency...

ComplaintNZ Festival: Numero Bruno – inclusion in documentary of sex scene from Smash Palace – sexually explicit – not essential part of story FindingsStandard G2 – sex scene acceptable in context – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary The documentary NZ Festival: Numero Bruno, broadcast at 8. 30pm on 12 February 2001, examined the life and work of actor and musician Bruno Lawrence. The documentary included a scene from the film Smash Palace, which showed the character played by Bruno Lawrence having sex with his wife. Betty McIntyre complained to the broadcaster, Television New Zealand Ltd, that the sex scene was "far too explicit", and crossed the bounds of decency in television entertainment. She believed that the sex scene was not an essential part of the Bruno Lawrence story. TVNZ advised the complainant that the scene had not been included gratuitously....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 19893 News – item on MTV music awards – showed actor Sacha Baron Cohen as his character Bruno dressed as an angel and only wearing a harness – Bruno was lowered in front of musician Eminem who was sitting in the crowd – Bruno was suspended upside down so that his buttocks were in the musician’s face – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency and children’s interests FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – contextual factors – not upheld Standard 9 (children’s interests) – unsupervised children unlikely to watch news programmes – item did not contain material that would have disturbed or alarmed child viewers – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Close Up – interview with female porn star about her thoughts on feminism and sexuality – included footage of porn star wearing lingerie and clips from her pornographic movies – broadcaster upheld complaint under good taste and decency and children’s interests standards – action taken allegedly insufficient FindingsAction taken – Standards 1 (good taste and decency) and 9 (children’s interests) – serious breach of good taste and decency and children’s interests standards – action taken by broadcaster was insufficient – upheld OrdersSection 13(1)(a) – broadcast statement Section 16(4) – costs to the Crown of $3,000 This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] During an episode of Close Up, broadcast on TV One at 7pm on 11 August 2010, a reporter interviewed a female porn star, Nina Hartley, about her life and thoughts on feminism and sexuality....