20/20 and 3 News. Items focused on the relationship between a Department of Corrections employee and a former inmate. Complaint that the broadcasts breached the standards relating to privacy, balance, fairness and accuracy. Upheld (fairness). Not upheld (privacy, balance, accuracy). No order.
20/20: "The Big Lie". Item examined an incident from the Vietnam war where it was reported that a New Zealand soldier had been killed by enemy action when, in fact, he was shot accidentally by another member of the platoon. Not upheld (privacy, accuracy, fairness, balance). Not relevant (responsible programming).
91ZM. Radio station read out entry from winner of holiday competition, which explained why he deserved to win the holiday. Winning entry was read out on two days, with the winner's name mentioned in full on the second day, and included the details of his wife leaving him because she was having an affair with a 19-year-old who subsequently dumped her. The former wife complained that the broadcasts breached standards and her privacy. Upheld (privacy: second broadcast). Not upheld (fairness). Order ($250 compensation to DD; $250 costs to Crown).
Heat. Film broadcast at 8.30pm during summer school holidays contained repeated use of offensive language. Upheld (children's interests). Not upheld (good taste and decency). No order.
9inety6ixdot1: song by group Nine Inch Nails, "Closer ". Offensive language. Upheld (good taste and decency, children's interests). Order ($500 costs to Crown).
Film Striptease. Film depicting a woman with naked breasts during a striptease act was screened at 8.30pm. Upheld (children's interests). Not upheld (good taste and decency). No order.
Black Spots. White Crosses. Documentary focused on some factors which contributed to road fatalities on the Auckland-Waikato Highway and included footage of an accident scene, including some photographs, in which a driver and his baby daughter had been killed. Complaint about the use of these photographs and that some aspects of the footage and commentary were untrue and breached their and their family’s privacy. Upheld (fairness: item intrusive and distressing). Not upheld (privacy, responsible programming). Order ($500 costs to complainant CC).
Classic Hits ZHFM. Announcer rang several motels in Gisborne to investigate vacancies and room rates for the millennium celebrations. The daughter of a motel owner/manager who answered one of these calls mentioned some tariffs; the call was broadcast as a live interview. Not upheld (privacy).
60 Minutes promo. Promo referred to a story about short people and raised an issue about their decision to "breed". Not upheld: majority (good taste and decency). Not upheld (discrimination and denigration).
Issue of costs in relation to the withdrawal of a complaint.
60 Minutes. Decision 1999-053 related to a broadcast which focused on advances in the care of seriously ill premature babies. The mother of one of the babies shown made a complaint but then wished to withdraw the complaint after reaching an agreement with TVNZ. The Authority was asked if this course of action was open to both parties and the Chair ruled that it was but subject to costs, which were determined as $5,000 costs to the Crown from TVNZ. The Authority was then asked to have the above decision recalled on the grounds that TVNZ was not "a party in default". The Authority declined to recall its decision and not to issue that decision for publication.