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Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One Tree Hill – fictional series built around two young men with the same father – episode dealing with drink spiking and an attempted rape – contrary to children’s interests, incorrectly classified and insufficient warning – complaint upheld by broadcaster – action taken allegedly insufficientFindingsAction taken – sufficient – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An episode of One Tree Hill screened on TV2 at 3pm on Sunday 5 September 2004. One Tree Hill is a teen drama series built around two young men who share the same father, and it deals with issues which confront teenagers growing up in a modern society. [2] This episode included a sequence in which a young woman narrowly avoided being raped after having her drink spiked at a party....

The Authority upheld a complaint that a segment of Punjabi talkback programme, Dasam Granth Da Sach breached the good taste and decency, violence and law and order standards. During the segment, the host made threatening comments, directed at members of a Sikh sect in response to recent violent incidents in India. The Authority found the comments undermined widely shared community standards, considering their seriousness, specificity and other contextual factors. The Authority also found the comments actively incited violence and promoted disrespect for the law within the specific community of listeners. The Authority recognised the value of the broadcaster’s right to freedom of expression but found the potential for harm justified a restriction of this right. Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Violence, Law and Order Orders: Section 13(1)(a) broadcast statement...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint under several standards in relation to a segment on The Project. In the broadcast, comedian Justine Smith joked about throwing a half-eaten apple at anti-abortion protesters. The complainants alleged the segment was offensive, promoted violence and criminal activity, and discriminated against anti-abortion protesters. The Authority found that while the statements may have been offensive to some – in the context of the broadcast as a whole, taking into account audience expectations of the show, and the lack of any specific call to act – the alleged harm caused by the broadcast did not reach the thresholds required to restrict the broadcaster’s right to freedom of expression under any of the nominated standards. Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Children’s Interests, Violence, Law and Order, and Discrimination and Denigration...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint about a promo which contained a joke that New Zealand’s duck hunting season had been off to a bad start because ‘someone accidentally shot Trevor Mallard’. Viewers would have understood the comment as a joke, and it was unlikely to cause widespread undue offence or encourage illegal activity, nor did it contain unduly disturbing violent content. Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Violence, Law and Order...

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1993-120:Moffatt-Vallance and TV3 Network Services Ltd - 1993-120 PDF383. 9 KB...

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1992-017:Buck and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1992-017 PDF361. 78 KB...

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Bogan’s Heroes – extreme satire about prison life – allegedly in breach of standards relating to good taste and decency and violenceFindingsStandard 1 – majority considers contextual factors sufficient to avoid a breach – not upheld Standard 10 – majority considers violence unrealistic and farcical – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] On 20 July 2005 at 11. 25pm, TV2 broadcast Bogan’s Heroes, a satire about criminals and life in prison. Complaint [2] Mr Cozens complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the programme was tasteless and offensive. He noted that the programme was described in the Listener as an AO-rated “extreme prison based comedy”. [3] He considered that the programme was excessively violent, indecent, and extremely offensive....

Summary [This summary does not form part of the decision. ]Seven Sharp screened footage of an incident involving celebrity singer Beyoncé’s sister physically attacking Beyoncé’s husband in a lift. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that the item made light of the serious issue of violence or denigrated men. Not Upheld: Law and Order, Discrimination and Denigration, Violence. Introduction[1] Seven Sharp screened footage of an incident involving Beyoncé’s sister physically attacking Beyoncé’s husband in a lift, that had attracted the attention of media worldwide. It was broadcast at 7pm on TV ONE on 13 May 2014. [2] Wayne Burrows complained that the hosts ‘made light of this serious issue laughing and joking about the violence’. He said that by laughing the presenters glamorised the violent behaviour, and because the violence was by a woman against a man, the laughter denigrated men....

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1997-170 Dated the 15th day of December 1997 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by DOUGLAS JENKIN of Wellington Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED S R Maling Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod J Withers...

Warning: This decision contains content that some readers may find distressing. An item on 1 News reporting on a mass shooting in Buffalo, US, showed an edited clip from the attacker’s livestream video. The clip, approximately 16 seconds long and without audio, showed the masked attacker driving into the supermarket carpark, stopping his vehicle, getting out of the car and raising a gun. The complaint alleged the broadcast of the clip breached the good taste and decency, violence, and law and order broadcasting standards....

ComplaintPromo – Bitches and B*stards – offensive language – promo for AO rated programme screened at 8. 00pm – inappropriately classified FindingsStandard G2 – contextual matters – no uphold Standard G8 – promo appropriately classified – no uphold Standard G12 – taking into account classification and theme of programme in which promo screened – no uphold Standard G22 – see G8 – no uphold Standard G24 – no violent or explicit material – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] A promo for the AO rated programme Bitches and B*stards was broadcast by TV3 at 8. 00pm on 15 November 2001, during the PGR rated programme Family Confidential. [2] Michael Hooker complained to TV3 Network Services Ltd, the broadcaster, that the broadcast of offensive language at that time was unacceptable and in breach of the broadcasting standards....

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 125/94 Dated the 12th day of December 1994 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by P R PARRY of Auckland Broadcaster TV3 NETWORK SERVICES LIMITED I W Gallaway Chairperson J R Morris L M Loates W J Fraser...

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 3 News – reported on the purchase of a bluefin tuna at auction for nearly one million dollars – item contained footage of fish’s head being removed and a number of tuna being sliced and filleted – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency and violence standards FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – killing animals for food is a fact of life – images were not gratuitous and would not have offended most viewers in the context of a news item – not upheld Standard 10 (violence) – filleting fish did not amount to “violence” for the purposes of the standard – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1993-127:Turner and Television New Zealand Ltd - 1993-127 PDF215. 44 KB...

ComplaintSpecial Victims Unit and Crime Scene Investigation – promo – reference to oral sex – during That ‘70s Show – 7. 50pm – inappropriate comment at that time FindingsStandard 7 and Guideline 7b – majority classification of Special Victims Unit promo correct – no uphold; minority – adult theme – should be AO; classification of Crime Scene Investigation promo as PGR correct – no uphold Standard 9 and Guidelines 9b and 9e – subsumed under Standard 7 Standard 10 and Guideline 10c – violence appropriately classified – no uphold Standard 1 and Guidelines 1a and 1b – context – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] "Since when is oral sex not sex? Since Bill Clinton said so". This exchange in an office setting was used in a promo for Special Victims Unit, and was broadcast by TV3 at 7....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News At 4. 30 – report on a suicide bombing in Sri Lanka – showed footage of moments before and after the explosion – allegedly in breach of children’s interests and violence standards Findings Standard 9 (children's interests) and Standard 10 (violence) – no graphic material – appropriate warning given – complainant mistaken about content of item – broadcaster sufficiently considered children’s interests – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An item on One News At 4. 30, broadcast on TV One at 4. 30pm on Wednesday 11 March 2009, reported that "dramatic pictures have emerged showing the moments just before a deadly suicide bombing attack on Muslims in Sri Lanka". The presenter warned viewers that "you may find the pictures disturbing"....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Hunting Aotearoa – included footage of dogs attacking pigs and child handling firearm – allegedly in breach of violence standard FindingsStandard 10 (violence) – footage of dogs attacking pigs gruesome but a realistic and natural portrayal of hunting – would not have departed from audience expectations of a hunting programme screened at 9. 30pm, classified AO and preceded by a warning for violence to animals – footage of a child handling a firearm was filmed in a controlled environment under adult supervision – 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] An episode of Hunting Aotearoa, a reality television programme about hunters, was broadcast on Māori Television at 9. 30pm on Thursday 30 June 2011....

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1997-140 Decision No: 1997-141 Decision No: 1997-142 Decision No: 1997-143 Dated the 13th day of November 1996 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of complaints by LYNN PHEASE of Putaruru and MARGARET MITCHELL of Tokoroa Broadcaster TV3 NETWORK SERVICES LIMITED S R Maling Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod J Withers...

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989The Big Bang Theory – scene showed a male and female character drinking alcohol and then in bed together – allegedly in breach of law and order, responsible programming, children’s interests, violence and liquor FindingsStandard 9 (children’s interests) – liquor consumption was borderline in a PGR programme but scene involved fictional adult characters in a comedic context – acceptable for children with parental guidance – not upheld Standard 11 (liquor) – programme did not advocate liquor consumption – no liquor promotion – showing liquor was incidental to the programme – not upheld Standard 2 (law and order) – programme did not encourage, promote, condone or glamorise criminal activity – not upheld Standard 8 (responsible programming) – programme did not contain subliminal perception – not upheld Standard 10 (violence) – programme did not contain any violence – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision.…...