An episode of the cartoon comedy Family Guy, broadcast on FOUR at 7.30pm, contained sexual content and innuendo. The Authority declined to uphold the complaint that the broadcast breached standards relating to good taste and decency, responsible programming and children’s interests. The sexual content was subtle and inexplicit and the sexual innuendo would have gone over the heads of younger viewers; the content was not unsuitable for supervised child viewers; and the episode was correctly rated PGR, preceded by a visual and verbal warning, and screened in an appropriate time-band.
Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Responsible Programming, Children’s Interests
During Afternoons with Jim Mora, broadcast on Radio New Zealand National about 4.30pm, the host and panellists discussed the recent release of a controversial collectors’ edition Barbie doll. A panellist suggested there was a market in the Muslim world for “terrorist Barbie”, and in response the host suggested “suicide bomber Barbie”. The Authority declined to uphold the complaint that the broadcast breached standards relating to good taste and decency, accuracy, discrimination and denigration, and responsible programming. The comments were intended to be satirical, they were clearly commentary and opinion rather than statements of fact, the panellists were making the point that the marketers were smart to release controversial Barbie dolls, and the programme was not one likely to appeal to child listeners.
Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Accuracy, Discrimination and Denigration, Responsible Programming
A promo for 3 News broadcast on TV3 at 5.55pm contained a brief shot of a man head-butting another man during the ‘Occupy Dunedin’ protest movement. The Authority declined to uphold the complaint that the broadcast breached standards relating to good taste and decency, law and order, children’s interests, and violence. The footage was fleeting and inexplicit and no visible injury was shown; it did not encourage viewers to break the law or glamorise criminal activity; it screened immediately before the news within the host programme Home and Away which is not targeted at or likely to appeal to younger child viewers; and the voiceover signposted the footage as a “violent protest” against the occupiers.
Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Law and Order, Children’s Interests, Violence
A promo for Comedy Convoy, a documentary series on performances by stand-up comedians, was broadcast during Home and Away on TV3 at 12.48pm. It included a female comedian stating, “When I was in my early twenties I really wanted kids, like I really wanted them, but I just could never lure them into my car.” The Authority declined to uphold the complaint that the broadcast breached standards relating to good taste and decency, children’s interests and responsible programming. The comment was clearly intended as a joke and was broadcast in the middle of the day during the school term; the promo was broadcast during Home and Away, a programme not targeted at children, and the promo was correctly rated G and screened in an appropriate timeslot.
Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Children’s Interests, Responsible Programming
In an episode of Intrepid Journeys, broadcast at 7.30pm on TV One, well-known New Zealander Brendon Cole visited a Vanuatu village. The locals told him how to kill a chicken using a slingshot but he didn’t manage to hit the chicken properly and eventually killed it with his hands. The Authority declined to uphold the complaint that the programme breached standards relating to good taste and decency, children’s interests and violence. The footage was not gratuitous – it showed the daily reality of a different culture and it was clear that Mr Cole was upset about killing the chicken; the programme was correctly rated PGR and the scene was signposted so parents could exercise discretion; and the footage did not amount to “violence” as envisaged by that standard.
Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Children’s Interests, Violence
An episode of reality series Four Weddings was broadcast at 2pm on TV One. It included a ‘naturist’ ceremony where the bride and groom and most of the guests were shown naked. The Authority declined to uphold the complaint that the broadcast breached standards relating to good taste and decency and children’s interests. The nudity was matter-of-fact and non-sexual, nudity is not in itself harmful to children, and the programme was preceded by a verbal and written warning.
Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Children’s Interests
An item on 60 Minutes entitled “Turned Away” was broadcast on TV3 and investigated the case of a young man who died of meningococcal disease after being misdiagnosed by medical professionals. The reporter interviewed the Chief Executive of the Northland District Health Board (NDHB) about the circumstances surrounding the man’s treatment and, in particular, about the doctor who made the decision not to administer a lumbar puncture earlier, despite the fact that the man displayed all but one of the symptoms of meningitis. The Authority declined to uphold the complaint that the item was inaccurate and misleading and that the interview was unbalanced and unfair. The item did not create a misleading impression; the District Health Board’s viewpoint was included through the interview with its Chief Executive and the item was not unfair; and significant perspectives were included on the issue under discussion.
Not Upheld: Controversial Issues, Accuracy, Fairness
An item on 3 News, broadcast on TV3, showed four different clips of a reporter trying to obtain comment from Don Brash on a Labour proposal to raise the retirement age. The complainant argued that one clip would have made the point about the refusal to be interviewed and the series of clips amounted to electioneering by the reporter. The Authority declined to uphold the complaint that the broadcast breached the fairness standard: the item was broadcast in the lead-up to the general election, Mr Brash chose to refuse to comment on a subject other party leaders had freely commented on, and the clips were shown unedited.
Not Upheld: Fairness
During The Edge Morning Show one of the hosts performed a parody of a song, and later read out a listener’s text message which said, “Dom, your song was so gay I’m pretty sure I just got AIDS from listening to it.” The Authority declined to uphold the complaint that the broadcast breached standards relating to good taste and decency, accuracy, and discrimination and denigration. Given contextual factors such as the target audience and their expectations of content on The Edge, the potential harm to listeners did not outweigh the broadcaster’s right to freedom of expression; the programme was not a news, current affairs or factual programme to which the accuracy standard applied; and the content of the text message was directed at the host’s song and not against homosexuals as a section of the community.
Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Accuracy, Discrimination and Denigration
During 3 News: Firstline, broadcast on TV3 at 6.45am, the newsreader interviewed a representative of the 'Occupy Wellington' protest movement. The Authority declined to uphold the complaint that the newsreader’s comments and interviewing style breached standards relating to accuracy, fairness, and discrimination and denigration. The interviewee adequately expressed his viewpoint and defended the position of the protestors; the interviewee’s perspective was included so viewers would not have been misled by the newsreader’s comments; and the comments did not carry the necessary invective to encourage discrimination or denigration against the protestors as a section of the community.
Not Upheld: Accuracy, Fairness, Discrimination and Denigration