BSA Decisions Ngā Whakatau a te Mana Whanonga Kaipāho

All BSA's decisions on complaints 1990-present
All Decisions
Neal and Television New Zealand Ltd - 2024-055 (25 Septmember 2024)

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that a 1News item on tax cuts in the Government’s 2024 Budget breached the balance and fairness standards by portraying the tax cuts negatively, thereby misrepresenting the views of New Zealanders. The Authority found the balance standard was not breached as significant perspectives on the Budget were presented, viewers could reasonably be expected to be aware of other views, and the standard does not apply to concerns of bias. It also found the broadcast consistent with the level of robust scrutiny and political analysis that could reasonably be expected of politicians, so the fairness standard was not breached.

Not Upheld: Balance, Fairness

Southee and Television New Zealand Ltd - 2024-056 (25 September 2024)

The Authority has not upheld a complaint a 1News item on 80-year commemorations for D-Day breached the accuracy standard by stating that D-Day ‘was the turning point in the war against Nazi Germany’. The complainant considered this was inaccurate as D-Day was only the turning point for the Western Front, not the Eastern Front or World War II as a whole. The Authority found the alleged inaccuracy was not material to the segment, and would not have impacted audience’s understanding of the broadcast as a whole.

Not Upheld: Accuracy

Greene and Television New Zealand Ltd - 2024-063 (25 September 2024)

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that a 1News segment on various extreme weather events in the United States breached the accuracy standard on the basis it did not refer to the climate crisis as a causative factor. The Authority found not mentioning the climate crisis did not give a wrong idea or impression of the events depicted and would not have misled viewers. Whether or not to mention climate change was a matter for the broadcaster’s editorial discretion.

Not Upheld: Accuracy

Chapel, Garbutt & Hopcroft and Television New Zealand Ltd (2 September 2024)

The Authority has not upheld a complaint about a 1News item discussing the results of a 1News Verian political poll. The item included analysis and commentary on the poll from 1News’ Political Editor, which the complainants considered was either ‘biased’, unbalanced, inaccurate or unfair to the coalition government. The Authority found no breach of the nominated standards: the item included significant relevant perspectives; the statements complained about were comment, analysis, or opinion to which the accuracy standard did not apply; and the item did not give rise to any unfairness to the politicians or parties featured.

Not Upheld: Balance, Accuracy, Fairness

Mustapic and Television New Zealand Ltd - 2024-037 2 September 2024)

The Authority has upheld part of a complaint about satirical comedy series, James Must-a-pic His Mum a Man, finding it was unfair to the complainant, James Mustapic’s father, and action taken by the broadcaster (having upheld two aspects of the fairness complaint) was not sufficient to remedy potential harm to the complainant. Comments were made throughout the series which the Authority found created a negative impression of James’ father and had the potential to adversely affect him and his reputation – meaning the broadcaster should, in the interests of fairness, have informed him of the nature of the programme and his participation prior to broadcast. The Authority acknowledged the action taken by TVNZ (apologising to the complainant, adding a disclaimer to the start of each episode, and making significant edits to the programme content) and found that was sufficient to address the single privacy breach (implying the complainant did not pay child support). However, there had not been any public acknowledgement of the breach to date, to remedy potential reputational damage. The Authority did not uphold the rest of the complaint: no other information was disclosed about which the complainant had a reasonable expectation of privacy; and the accuracy standard did not apply.

Upheld: Fairness – Action Taken. Not Upheld: Privacy – Action Taken, Accuracy. 
No Order

Williams and Television New Zealand Ltd - 2024-039 (2 September 2024)

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that an episode of Country House Hunters New Zealand breached the accuracy standard. In the episode, the host showed a couple around three houses in Greytown, each of which had ‘for sale’ signs on their fences indicating they were for sale through a particular real estate agency. The complainant considered it was misleading that the broadcaster did not disclose two of the houses were actually ‘off-market’ sales, and citing values for these houses would have given viewers an inflated impression of the market value of the houses, and the Greytown property market generally. The Authority did not uphold the complaint, noting Country House Hunters New Zealand does not purport to be an authoritative source of information on market prices, and the nature of the programme is such that the general audience would understand it may include scenarios which are manipulated to further the storyline. Nor did the broadcast make any claim that the prices cited for the houses were market value. Accordingly, viewers would not have been misled.

Not Upheld: Accuracy

Brown & Sloog and Discovery Ltd - 2024-049 (2 September 2024)

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that an episode of Married at First Sight New Zealand breached the offensive and disturbing content standard. The episode featured couples getting ‘married’ at a resort in Vanuatu. It included two scenes (pre- and post-ceremony) of one of the grooms and his groomsman urinating into bushes, with their streams of urine visible. The Authority found the scenes of the men urinating were within audience expectations for the programme, and the nature of the content was sufficiently signposted through audience advisories. In this context, the scenes were not likely to cause widespread undue offence or distress, or undermine widely shared community standards.

Not Upheld: Offensive and Disturbing Content

Communities Against Alcohol Harm and NZME Radio Ltd - 2024-026 (2 September 2024)

The Authority has upheld a complaint that action taken by NZME in response to a breach of the promotion of illegal or antisocial behaviour standard during a segment of Fletch, Vaughan and Hayley on ZM was insufficient. The Authority agreed that the item, which discussed searching for the cheapest alcohol with the highest alcohol by volume (ABV), amounted to alcohol promotion that was socially irresponsible. While the broadcaster upheld the complaint, removed the relevant segment from their online podcast and counselled the content directors and hosts of ZM on their obligations around alcohol promotion, the Authority found this was insufficient to remedy the harm caused by the broadcast – noting, in particular, there had not yet been any public acknowledgement of the breach for the audience.

Upheld: Promotion of Illegal or Antisocial Behaviour (Action Taken)

Order: Section 13(1)(a) – broadcast statement 

Hailes-Paku and NZME Radio Ltd - 2024-048 (2 September 2024)

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that a brief, light-hearted discussion on ZM’s Bree & Clint programme about listeners’ suggestions to use methamphetamine to stay awake breached broadcasting standards. The complainant alleged the discussion made methamphetamine appear ‘cute’, it was offensive for the hosts to discuss it on air, promoted the drug to the audience and was unfair. The Authority found the discussion was within audience expectations of the programme and station and was not likely to promote use of the drug. Though the conversation was light-hearted, the hosts specifically acknowledged the drug could ‘ruin [their] lives’. The fairness standard did not apply.

Not Upheld: Offensive and Disturbing Content, Promotion of Illegal or Antisocial Behaviour, Fairness

Brandish and Discovery NZ Ltd - 2024-035 (7 August 2024)

The Authority has not upheld a complaint about an item on Newshub Live at 6pm reporting on New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’ State of the Nation speech, which stated Peters had compared the previous Labour Government’s approach to co-governance to the Holocaust. The complainant considered this breached the accuracy standard on the basis Peters had referred to Nazi Germany and ‘growing social/racial differences as evident in Germany’ pre-World War II rather than to the Holocaust. The Authority found the broadcast was not misleading, noting the description that Peters had made a comparison to the Holocaust was not materially different to saying he had made a comparison to Nazi Germany. It also noted Peters did not refute the notion that he had made a comparison to the Holocaust when this was directly put to him afterwards, and further the report included footage of the relevant part of Peters’ speech allowing the audience to form their own impressions of his meaning.

Not Upheld: Accuracy

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