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Summary [This summary does not form part of the decision. ]A media commentator on Nine to Noon made comments about the retirement of the editor of the Southland Times. The Authority declined to determine the complaint that the editor was ‘erroneously described… in glowing terms’. The complainant’s concerns about the way the editor was portrayed are matters of personal preference and editorial discretion, not broadcasting standards. The item clearly comprised personal opinion and did not require the presentation of other views. Declined to determine: Controversial IssuesIntroduction[1] During a discussion with a media commentator on Nine to Noon, comments were made about the retirement of the editor of the Southland Times. The programme was broadcast on 17 December 2013 on Radio New Zealand National....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]In March and April 2017, RNZ ran a series of stories about an alleged lack of Ministry of Education (Ministry) funding, resources and support for Northland teachers struggling to cope with violent and disruptive children. A complaint was made to RNZ, on behalf of the Ministry, about a lack of fairness and balance in this coverage. RNZ responded and the complainant then referred the matter to the Authority on the basis that the Ministry was dissatisfied with RNZ’s response. RNZ’s position was that the Ministry’s original complaint was not a valid formal complaint, and therefore the Authority did not have jurisdiction to accept the referral....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]An item broadcast during RNZ News reported on cycling campaigner Peter Walker’s new book, following an interview between RNZ and Mr Walker earlier that day. The item reported that helmets ‘do little to improve safety’ and are ‘stopping people from taking up cycling’. The Authority did not uphold a complaint that the omission of any reference to Mr Walker’s position on mandatory helmet legislation was misleading as Mr Walker is not ‘against helmets’ but rather against mandatory helmet laws. The Authority found that, while the short news item truncated a sophisticated topic and did not refer to Mr Walker’s views on mandatory helmet legislation, the ideas communicated in the news item were not materially different to the key themes communicated by Mr Walker during his earlier interview broadcast on RNZ....

The Authority has declined to determine two complaints on the basis they were trivial – one about a teaser for a Nights interview that allegedly mispronounced ‘Rhondda’, and one about a Checkpoint item that referred to England instead of the United Kingdom during a discussion about educational achievement of countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Declined to Determine: Accuracy (section 11(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 – trivial)...

The Authority has declined to determine a complaint, under the accuracy standard, about an episode of Our Changing World. The Authority considered the complaint, about the use of the word ‘English’ instead of ‘British’ trivial. Declined to Determine: Accuracy (section 11(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 – trivial)...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint an interview on Saturday Morning, where the host misgendered and ‘deadnamed’ the interviewee, breached the discrimination and denigration standard. While the Authority acknowledged the potential harm in the host’s words, it found the words were directed at the interviewee as an individual, not a section of society as required by the standard. The Authority, in implying the fairness standard, did not consider listeners would have been left with a negative impression of the interviewee. The potential harm therefore did not reach the threshold justifying regulatory intervention.    Not Upheld: Discrimination and Denigration, Fairness...

ComplaintMorning Report – British newspaper reviews – left wing bias – unbalancedFindingsNo issues of broadcasting standards raised – decline to determine under s. 11(b) of the Broadcasting Act This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary During Morning Report broadcast daily on weekdays between 6. 00–9. 00am on National Radio, some selected overseas newspapers are reviewed. During the period 4 to 28 July 2000, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The Times were reviewed. Mr G C C Meikle complained to Radio New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that its coverage of the British dailies lacked balance. He noted that considerably more reference had been given to The Guardian than to either The Daily Telegraph or The Times. In his view there was no justification for the bias he believed was demonstrated in favour of The Guardian....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 National Radio – Late Edition – item about 35th anniversary of moon landing – in referring to moon landing as matter of historical fact broadcast allegedly inaccurate, unbalanced and unfair as fact of moon landing not universally accepted Findings Moon landing has status as historical fact – RNZ entitled to refer to it as fact – declined to determine pursuant to section 11(b) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] Late Edition, broadcast on National Radio on 21 July 2004, contained an item regarding the 35th anniversary of the first moon landing. The item was introduced as follows: 35 years ago this week NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed Apollo II on the surface of the moon....

ComplaintNational Radio – item on Barry Crump – bugger – offensive language FindingsPrinciple 1 – context relevant – programme not targeted at children – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary A play which portrayed the life and times of author Barry Crump was reviewed on Country Life, broadcast on National Radio on 29 July 2000 between 7. 00–8. 00am. The item contained interviews with the play’s director, actors and playwright, and included some excerpts from the play. The word "bugger" was used by one of the play’s characters. Paul Schwabe complained to Radio New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the language was offensive. He said it was his understanding that broadcasters were required to maintain standards consistent with good taste and decency. The word "bugger", he said, was plainly indecent language to him and to many other people....

ComplaintNine to Noon – National Radio – review of events – political editor’s comment – inaccurate FindingsPrinciple 6 – editorial opinion – principle not applicable – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] RNZ’s political editor (Al Morrison) reviewed events during the week of 6–10 May in a segment broadcast on Nine to Noon between 9. 45–10. 00am on 10 May 2002. The review is broadcast weekly and, on this occasion, he referred to a speech by the Minister of Labour in which, he said, the Minister said that "the basic shape of the income system" had not changed for some years. [2] Simon Boyce complained to Radio New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the item was factually inaccurate....

ComplaintBookmarks – book reading – offensive language; unsuitable for children FindingsPrinciple 1 – potential breach averted by words being beeped – no language or concepts which would offend – not targeted at children – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary An extract from the book "They who do not Grieve" by Sia Figiel was read by her on the Bookmarks programme broadcast on National Radio on 2 December 1999 beginning at 7. 00pm. Part of the extract was masked by an audible beep. Douglas Bacon complained to Radio New Zealand Ltd that the extract read was vulgar and that he could hardly believe the "obscenities" it contained. He said he took into account that it was broadcast during the early evening when younger people could be listening....

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that a broadcast of Mediawatch, which contained commentary on a recently released Media Council decision concerning an article about puberty blockers, breached the balance, accuracy and fairness standards. The Authority found the programme was sufficiently balanced, noting its focus was on the Media Council’s decision (including its implications for journalists) and that it did not purport to be a balanced examination of the safety or reversibility of puberty blockers. It found alleged inaccuracies in the broadcast constituted comment, analysis or opinion to which the accuracy standard does not apply. Taking into account the Media Council’s role as a public-facing organisation, the Authority noted it can reasonably expect its decisions to be subject to public scrutiny, and found the critique of its decision did not result in unfairness. Not Upheld: Balance, Accuracy, Fairness...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that a statement on RNZ National that the new Government ‘plans to repeal Smokefree legislation to fund tax cuts’ breached the accuracy and balance standards. The Authority found the accuracy standard was not breached noting other content within the broadcast and interviews with National Party members before the programme meant audience members were unlikely to be misled. The balance standard did not apply. Not Upheld: Accuracy, Balance...

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1993-070:Boys and Radio New Zealand Ltd - 1993-070 PDF256. 02 KB...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint under the fairness, balance, and accuracy standards from environmental protest group Honour the Maunga, about a series of Radio New Zealand broadcasts on 15-19 April 2020. The items concerned the removal of the group’s unoccupied camp from Ōwairaka (Mt Albert) for allegedly breaching lockdown rules. Overall, the Authority found that the series of broadcasts was unlikely to cause undue harm to the reputation of Honour the Maunga, and was unlikely to mislead listeners. This was a series of short news items covering a developing story, which, importantly, included the complainant’s response to the key points in the reports, namely that the group had not breached lockdown rules and was otherwise entitled under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act to occupy the site....

The Authority has not upheld a complaint from the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) about an interview with Nicky Hager discussing the results of an Australian enquiry into its Defence Force and the implications for the NZDF. The Authority noted the high public interest in the broadcast and found that as it was clearly coming from Mr Hager’s perspective and other news bulletins signalled other views, the balance standard was not breached. The broadcast was not unfair to the NZDF. It is a government agency that can reasonably expect public scrutiny. In addition, comment from the Defence Minister was sought and included in later news bulletins. Not Upheld: Balance, Fairness...

Summary [This summary does not form part of the decision. ]During a discussion on Summer Noelle about current events in Japan, a foreign correspondent commented that whale meat in Japan was ‘quite cheap’, and that the Senkaku Islands were ‘fairly meaningless’. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that these comments were inaccurate, as they were clearly the personal opinions and analysis of the correspondent. Not Upheld: AccuracyIntroduction[1] During a discussion on Summer Noelle about current events in Japan, a foreign correspondent made comments about the price of whale meat, and the Senkaku Islands. The programme was broadcast on Radio New Zealand National on 8 January 2014. [2] Masaru Hashimoto made a formal complaint to Radio New Zealand Ltd (RNZ), alleging that the foreign correspondent’s comments were inaccurate....

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 105/94 Dated the 3rd day of November 1994 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by CHRIS SORRELL of Darfield Broadcaster RADIO NEW ZEALAND LIMITED I W Gallaway Chairperson J R Morris L M Loates W J Fraser...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 12/95 Dated the 9th day of March 1995 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by JAMES OAKLEY of Wellington Broadcaster RADIO NEW ZEALAND LIMITED I W Gallaway Chairperson J R Morris L M Loates W J Fraser...