Crimescene. Item focussed on a case where a man had assumed the identity of a dead child to defraud the student loan scheme. Photographs of a number of people who had been involved in fraudulent schemes in the past accompanied the item. T, whose picture was featured, complained his privacy was breached. Not upheld (privacy).
Inside New Zealand: Protecting our Borders. Documentary focused on work of the Customs Department and showed the successful apprehension of a drug smuggler by Customs officials. Not upheld (privacy).
Radio Pacific talkback. Host said that New Zealand needed allies like the Americans to protect it from enemies like Japan; other similar references were made to Japan and its people. Not upheld (accuracy, fairness, denigration and discrimination).
Assignment. Programme broadcast at at 6.30pm focused on trial of Malcolm Rewa, accused and found guilty of a large number of sexual attacks on women, and included material that was "explicit and distressing". It replaced an advertised Our World programme, a programme watched unsupervised by many children. Upheld (children's interests, violence). Not upheld (good taste and decency). No order.
A Question of Religion. Programme addressed religious attitudes to homosexuality, both historical and current. The presenter discussed the issue with a staff member from Victoria University's Religious Studies Department. Complaint that the guest represented a liberal strand of Christian thinking and that the broadcast, in the absence of an alternative view, was unbalanced. Not upheld (balance).
One Network News. News item broadcast between 6.00 and 7.00pm reported on response to a promotion by a Melbourne record store where customers who were prepared to shop naked were rewarded with a free CD. Not upheld (good taste and decency, children's interests).
A promo for PGR cartoon King of the Hill was screened during The Busy World of Richard Scarry, a programme aimed at child viewers, at 7.35am. Complaint about the adult nature of remarks in the promo. Not upheld (responsible programming, children's interests).
One Network News. In the item a computer expert demonstrated how he had intercepted messages to drivers of the VIP transport fleet, thus revealing the potential for disclosure of travel arrangements for MPs. The Secretary for Internal Affairs complained that the broadcaster had breached regulations under the Radiocommunications Act by broadcasting the unlawfully intercepted messages, as well as falling short of the required standards of reliability and integrity in sourcing the story. Not upheld (law and order, balance).
One Network News. A number of violent incidents from previous "State of Origin" rugby league matches were shown in a preview to the sports news, and during the sports report itself, between 6.00–7.00pm. Complaint that TVNZ had glorified the incidents and had breached standards relating to the protection of children, truth and accuracy and violence. Not upheld (accuracy, children's interests, violence).
Breakfast. Exchange between hosts touched on the relative merits of soccer as compared to rugby. Complaint that comments from one of the hosts showed bias. Not upheld (balance, fairness, discrimination).