BSA Decisions Ngā Whakatau a te Mana Whanonga Kaipāho

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Summary

Reference was made to the Queen as "Lizzie" in a news item broadcast on 20 April

1996 on Radio New Zealand Ltd's commercial network at 11.00pm. The reference

occurred in an item about the Queen's birthday, which was being celebrated the next

day.

Mr Williamson complained to Radio New Zealand Ltd that to refer to the Queen as

"Lizzie" was particularly offensive and, he maintained, it denigrated the Queen's high

office.

In its response, RNZ maintained that the use of the familiar name "Lizzie" was a

gently humorous and sympathetic indicator of a family occasion. It denied that there

was any element of discrimination or denigration and declined to uphold the

complaint.

Dissatisfied with that decision, Mr Williamson referred the complaint to the

Broadcasting Standards Authority under s.8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989.

For the reasons given below, a majority of the Authority declines to uphold the

complaint that standard R2 was breached.

Decision

The members of the Authority have listened to a tape of the item and have read the

correspondence (which is summarised in the Appendix). As is its practice, the

Authority determines the complaint without a formal hearing.

During a news item broadcast on RNZ's commercial network (including Newstalk ZB)

at 11.00pm on 20 April 1996, the Queen, in an item about her birthday the following

day, was referred to as "Lizzie".

Mr Williamson complained to RNZ that the reference to the Queen as "Lizzie" was

offensive. He considered that in an official news bulletin, some dignity and decorum

should be exercised when referring to the Queen. He suggested that Newstalk ZB and

its newsreader should be censured for the lack of respect to her. He also expressed his

hope that future broadcasts would be couched in terms befitting a person of the

Queen's rank.

When it responded to Mr Williamson, RNZ advised that it had assessed the complaint

under standards R2 and R14 of the Radio Code of Broadcasting Practice. Those

standards require broadcasters:

R2  To take into consideration currently accepted norms of decency

and good taste in language and behaviour, bearing in mind the context

in which any language or behaviour occurs.

R14 To avoid portraying people in a manner that encourages denigration of

or discrimination against any section of the community on account of

gender, race, age, disability, occupational status, sexual orientation or

as the consequence of legitimate expression of religious, cultural or

political beliefs. This requirement is not intended to prevent the

broadcast of material which is

i) factual

ii) the expression of serious opinion, or

iii) in the legitimate use of humour or satire.

RNZ maintained that in a story dealing briefly with her family's plans for her

birthday, it was not offensive to use a "pet-name" version of the Queen's first name.

It suggested that the use of the pet name was gently humorous and a sympathetic

indicator of a family occasion and, in declining to uphold the good taste aspect of the

complaint, noted the absence of any other complaint about the item.

Turning to the complaint that the Queen was denigrated by the use of the familiar

name "Lizzie", RNZ noted first its view that the report involved mild humour and

that it considered this humour was legitimate. It rejected the allegation that the item

included any element which would encourage denigration of or discrimination against

the Queen. RNZ did agree however that the use of the name "Lizzie" in the context of

a serious report about a formal event might well raise serious concerns about taste and

appropriateness. On this occasion it concluded there was no breach.

When it assesses alleged breaches of the standard requiring good taste and decency, the

Authority is required to take into account the context in which the alleged

transgression occurred. The text of the news item, broadcast at 11.00pm, is recorded

below:

The Queen wants no fuss but her family is determined to throw a birthday

bash. Lizzie turns 70 tomorrow and family members including the Queen

Mother and Prince Charles have each agreed to pay $250 for a celebration

dinner at the famous Roux Brothers waterside inn near Windsor. But now

that details of the royal birthday party have leaked out, its location may have

to be switched.

The Authority also takes into account that the style of news broadcasts on RNZ's

commercial network is less formal than, for example, on the National programme, and

that the item itself was brief and was broadcast at 11.00pm. A majority of the

Authority decides that in the less formal context of a commercial broadcaster, there is

some latitude for light-heartedness in the delivery of certain news items and that the

reference on this occasion to the Queen as "Lizzie" did not contravene the standard

requiring good taste and decency.

A minority disagrees. It considers the reference to the Queen as "Lizzie" was

unwarrantedly familiar and neither seemly or appropriate in a news bulletin on any

news service at any time of the day. Accordingly, it upholds the complaint that the

use of the term "Lizzie" breaches the standard of good taste and decency in the

context.

With reference to the standard R14 aspect of the complaint, the Authority considers

that the standard was not applicable because it applies to groups and not to

individuals. Consequently it declines to uphold that aspect of the complaint.

For the reasons set forth above, a majority of the Authority declines to uphold

the complaint that a news item broadcast by Radio New Zealand Ltd on 20 April

1996 at 11.00pm breached standard R2 of the Radio Code of Broadcasting

Practice.

The Authority unanimously declines to uphold the complaint that standard R14

was breached.

Signed for and on behalf of the Authority

Judith Potter
Chairperson
15 August 1996

Appendix

J B Williamson's Complaint to Radio New Zealand Ltd - 29 April 1996

Mr Williamson of Wellington complained to Radio New Zealand Ltd about a Newstalk

ZB news broadcast at 11.00pm on Tuesday 20 April 1996.

He complained that during a news broadcast which included an item about Queen

Elizabeth II's birthday celebrations, she was referred to as "Lizzie". Mr Williamson

wrote:

I believe that an official news broadcast should exercise some dignity and

decorum when referring to Her Majesty The Queen.

Referring to the Code of Broadcasting Practice for Radio, Mr Williamson submitted

that the broadcast breached broadcasting standards by not observing good taste, and

by denigrating the high office held by Queen Elizabeth II. He suggested that future

broadcasts should be more respectful and courteous.

RNZ's Response to the Formal Complaint - 20 May 1996

Assessing the complaint under standards R2 and R14 of the Radio Code, RNZ advised

Mr Williamson that the complaint had not been upheld.

In relation to the complaint which alleged a breach of the good taste requirement in

standard R2, RNZ stated that the context was that of a report of a family birthday

dinner, and as such the familiar name of "Lizzie" was not inappropriate. It wrote:

The [Complaints] Committee found that the use of a pet name was a gently

humorous and sympathetic indicator of a family occasion.

Considering the complaint under standard R14, RNZ suggested that, in the slightly

humorous context, there was no element of discrimination or denigration. It maintained

that Broadcasting Standards Authority precedents stated that denigration required a

severe blackening which had not occurred on this occasion.

As a general comment, RNZ accepted that:

The use of the name form "Lizzie" in the context of a serious report of a

formal event would be subject to different criterion, and might well raise

serious concerns of taste and appropriateness.

Mr Williamson's Referral to the Broadcasting Standards Authority - 24 May

1996

Dissatisfied with RNZ's decision, Mr Williamson referred it to the Broadcasting

Standards Authority under s.8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989.

Mr Williamson suggested that the use of "Lizzie" as a familiar name was

inappropriate as RNZ was not in a position in which it should be familiar when

referring to the Queen.

In response to RNZ's submission that the comment took place in a humorous context,

he asserted that:

This was a news broadcast and it is most difficult to agree that any form of

humour was involved.

He restated his belief that the broadcast did not demonstrate good taste and that there

had been a denigration of the Queen by referring to her in an unjustified familiar

manner. He stated that he would be surprised if denigration required "severe

blackening" and submitted the meaning was better described as "to belittle or

undervalue".

He then acknowledged RNZ's concession that the use of the name "Lizzie" might well

raise serious concerns if used in the reporting of a formal event.

RNZ's Response to the Authority - 4 June 1996

RNZ advised that there was little to add, but did, however, point out that:

The matter of "humour" is frequently one of opinion, and must be seen as

such. The Company cannot, however, accept that there is no room for humour

in a news broadcast.

In addition, it repeated that it did not believe that the broadcast denigrated the Queen

within the established meaning of standard R14.

Mr Williamson's Final Comment - 12 June 1996

Mr Williamson again contended that he found the reference to Her Majesty the Queen

as "Lizzie" offensive and disrespectful.