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Decision The members of the Authority have viewed a tape of the film complained about and have read the correspondence which is listed in the Appendix. On this occasion, the Authority determines the complaint without a formal hearing. Mulholland Falls, a film about organised crime in Los Angeles, was broadcast on TV2 on 25 October 1999 beginning at 8. 30pm. It followed the adventures of a special police squad which had been set up to destroy gangs. Stuart Maclean complained to TVNZ that the opening sequence, which depicted what he said was the beginning of oral sex, was not of a standard consistent with good taste and decency and was completely unacceptable at 8. 30pm on a channel which purported to be a family channel. TVNZ assessed the complaint under standards G2 and G12 of the Television Code of Broadcasting Practice....

This decision was successfully appealed in the High Court: CIV 2011-485-840 PDF137. 27 KB Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Sunday – discussed anniversary of massacre at Aramoana – interviewed policeman who was involved – said “fucking” twice – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, law and order, responsible programming and children’s interests standardsFindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – Authority’s research suggests majority of viewers would consider “fucking” unacceptable before 8....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News – segment called “Good Sorts” profiled volunteer fireman – interviewee used the phrase “good bastard” twice – allegedly in breach of standards relating to good taste and decency, controversial issues, responsible programming, and children’s interests FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – language used in complimentary way – not aggressive or abusive – contextual factors – not upheld Standard 9 (children’s interests) – One News was an unclassified news programme targeted at adults – contextual factors – not upheld Standard 8 (responsible programming) – One News was an unclassified news programme – standard not applicable – not upheld Standard 4 (controversial issues) – no discussion of a controversial issue – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Te Karere – during interview presenter noted that Māori Party was using “a Chinese lawyer who has a lack of knowledge of Māori process” – allegedly in breach of discrimination and denigration standard FindingsStandard 7 (discrimination and denigration) – presenter’s comment was factual and did not carry any invective – broadcast did not encourage denigration or discrimination – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] During Te Karere, broadcast on TV One at 4pm on 20 January 2011, the presenter conducted a studio interview with Professor Ranginui Walker about MP Hone Harawira’s position in the Māori Party and the various sources of Mr Harawira’s anger at his party....

An appeal against the decision was dismissed in the High Court but the order for costs was quashed: CIV 2011-485-1836 PDF110. 08 KB Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News – reporter stated that supernova was “240 light years from Earth” – allegedly inaccurateFindingsStandard 5 (accuracy) – complaint frivolous and trivial – decline to determine under section 11(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989OrdersSection 16(1) – $50 costs to broadcasterThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast[1] An item on One News, broadcast on TV One at 6pm on 6 January 2011, reported on the discovery of a supernova by a 10-year-old Canadian girl. During the item the reporter stated: The Canadian Astronomical Society says Kathryn’s supernova was in a galaxy 240 light years from Earth....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Fair Go – item reported on saving fuel costs – contained a number statements about hybrid cars, including the following comment which referred to the Toyota Prius, “The bottom line is that the British Consumer’s Institute just did a comparison between a diesel car and a hybrid car and found that the diesel car was in fact more efficient....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News – reported on impact of the warm winter on New Zealand’s winter athletes and their training regimes – newsreader and reporter described Piera Hudson as “one of the world’s top junior skiers” and “one of the top junior female skiers in the world, [who] has recently been selected in the New Zealand Junior Winter Olympics squad” – included footage of Piera competing at Topolino ski games as voiceover stated, “Piera ended the European season well, seen here competing at the junior world champs in Italy in March where she came fourteenth in the slalom” – statements allegedly inaccurate FindingsStandard 5 (accuracy) – average viewer would have interpreted terms “junior” and “top” skier in accordance with their ordinary meaning – phrase “junior world champs” was used colloquially and not to denote formal title of event – item correctly stated that Piera had…...

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Promo for Nothing Trivial – broadcast during Coronation Street – contained sexual references – allegedly in breach of children’s interests standard FindingsStandard 9 (children’s interests) – sexual references were fleeting and innocuous – consistent with viewer expectations of Coronation Street and PGR timeband – contextual factors – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] A promo for Nothing Trivial, a drama following the personal lives of members of a pub quiz team, was broadcast on TV One between 7. 30pm and 8. 30pm on 12 July 2011, during Coronation Street which was rated PGR. [2] In the promo, the characters were shown talking about their quiz topic strengths, while thinking about their personal lives, as follows: Emma: I like animals and I know a bit about cooking. . ....

Complaint60 Minutes – documentary – youth suicide – mental health – psychosis and depression – drug use – misleading to blame suicide on cannabis – statements from Life Education Trust Director misleading Findings(1) Standard G1 – no inaccuracies – no uphold (2) Standard G6 – no bias or imbalance – story told from family perspective – honest opinions broadcast – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary An item on 60 Minutes broadcast by TV One at 7. 30pm on 13 February 2000 concerned the suicide of James Carruthers. The programme was based around the reflections of James’s parents, and the factors they believed had led to his death. Mr Currie complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the programme had misleadingly blamed cannabis use for James’s behaviour and suicide....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Cellularpromo – promo for AO-classified movie broadcast during PGR-rated animated movie – allegedly in breach of responsible programming and children's interests standards FindingsStandard 8 (responsible programming) – promo did not contain any AO material - promo correctly rated PGR and screened in appropriate host programme – not upheld Standard 9 (children's interests) – broadcaster adequately considered children's interests in screening the promo during Ratatouille – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] A promo for the movie Cellular was screened on TV2 on Saturday 14 August 2010, near the end of Ratatouille, an animated movie which was rated PGR and screened at 7. 30pm. Cellular was classified Adults Only and was broadcast at 9. 45pm after Ratatouille....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Breakfast – host made comments about a celebrity’s breasts, “Get your girls out” – in another segment host referred to music album, “Sex on Fire”, before stating, “Gonorrhoea anyone? ” – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency standard FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – comments not to everyone’s taste but would not have offended regular Breakfast viewers – contextual factors – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An item on Breakfast, broadcast on TV One at approximately 7. 30am on Tuesday 19 October 2010, reported on a well-known New Zealand jeweller who had enlisted the help of an international celebrity to boost his publicity while promoting a competition in New York....

FindingAuthority declines to accept the complaint on the grounds that it does not have jurisdiction to do so. This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcasts [1] Between 5 and 7 November 2010 on One News, a number of items reported the performance of New Zealand rowers at the World Rowing Championships at Lake Karapiro. Complaint [2] Edward Visser complained that the items hardly included any reports on the performance of “foreign competitors”. Broadcaster’s Response to the Complainant [3] TVNZ responded that the complaint was a matter of personal preference rather than broadcasting standards. Referral to the Authority [4] Mr Visser asked the Authority to review TVNZ’s decision. He disagreed that his complaint was a matter of personal preference, and argued that TVNZ was “breaching the Charter”....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Close Up – investigated high teenage pregnancy and abortion rates in New Zealand – interviewed two girls who unexpectedly fell pregnant, one of whom chose to have an abortion – presenter conducted studio interview with an “expert in youth sexual health” – allegedly unbalanced FindingsStandard 4 (controversial issues) – item discussed why teenage pregnancy rate was so high in New Zealand, not the merits of abortion – viewers would have been aware of alternative viewpoints – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An item on Close Up, broadcast on TV One at 7. 30pm on 28 October 2010, considered high teenage pregnancy and abortion rates in New Zealand. The presenter stated in the introduction, “The issue is not about the rights or wrongs of abortion....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News – item included the word “dickhead” – allegedly in breach of the good taste and decency standard FindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – contextual factors – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An item on One News, broadcast on TV One at 6pm on Wednesday 2 February 2011, reported on MP Hone Harawira’s falling-out with the Māori Party. The presenters stated that “the maverick MP [had] lashed out on his Facebook page” and “called his Māori Party colleagues ‘dickheads’”. Close-up footage of the comments was shown, as a voiceover read them aloud: It looks like these dickheads only have expulsion on their mind. If that’s their plan, then we may need to refocus....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News – item discussed “new questions on a car deal related to John Key’s National Party getting money from a top BMW dealership” – allegedly in breach of accuracy standard FindingsStandard 5 (accuracy) – item did not state as fact or imply that there was a link between the car contract and the donation – item fairly presented views of the Prime Minister and the dealership involved – high level of public interest in reporting allegations made in Parliament – not inaccurate or misleading – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An item on One News, broadcast on TV One at 6pm on 11 May 2011, was introduced by teasers which stated, “new questions on a car deal related to John Key’s National Party getting money from a top BMW dealership”....

ComplaintHolmes – interview with man about unproven sexual abuse when a child in the Order of St John of God – man paid $30,000 by Order on condition of confidentiality – unbalanced – unfair to Order FindingsStandards 4 and 6 – item made clear that the man’s views had been contested by Brother and there was no court case – Church spokesperson given reasonable opportunity to challenge his account – did not do so – man’s credibility left to viewer to assess – not unfair – not unbalanced – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] "Patrick" was interviewed in an item on Holmes broadcast on TV One at 7. 00pm on 19 June 2002....

ComplaintReel Life: Thalidomide – A Necessary Evil – documentary – Dr Nigel Brown claims no evidence that any chemical which causes a birth defect in one generation can also cause defects in subsequent generations – inaccurate FindingsStandard G1 – legitimate expression of scientific opinion – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary A Reel Life documentary broadcast on TV One on 9 March 2001 between 9. 45pm and 10. 45pm, entitled Thalidomide – A Necessary Evil, examined the reappearance of thalidomide as an apparently effective drug in the treatment of a variety of illnesses including leprosy. During the course of the programme, Dr Nigel Brown from St George’s Hospital in London commented to the effect that there was no evidence that any chemical, including thalidomide, which had caused a birth defect in one generation could be blamed for similar defects in subsequent generations....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989The Tiger’s Tail – movie contained scene which combined sex and violence – allegedly in breach of standards relating to good taste and decency, law and order and violence FindingsStandard 10 (violence) – guideline 10c – depiction of rape required pre-broadcast warning – broadcaster did not exercise adequate care and discretion when dealing with the issue of violence – upheld Standard 2 (law and order) – movie did not glamorise rape, or otherwise promote or condone rape – not upheld Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – subsumed into consideration of Standard 10 No Order This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] A movie called The Tiger’s Tail was broadcast during TV One’s Sunday Theatre timeslot at 8. 30pm on Sunday 31 October 2010....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 Promo for Nothing Trivial – broadcast during One News – characters used the terms “balls”, “arse” and “bastard” – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency and children’s interests standards Findings Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – language of a low level – One News aimed at adult audience – contextual factors – not upheld Standard 9 (children’s interests) – broadcaster adequately considered children’s interests by broadcasting the promo during One News – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Introduction [1] A promo for Nothing Trivial, a drama following the personal lives of members of a pub quiz team, was broadcast on TV One between 6pm and 7pm on Wednesday 24 August 2011, during One News which was unclassified....