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The Authority has not upheld complaints about three broadcasts concerning Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s (also known as Posie Parker) entry into New Zealand for her ‘Let Women Speak’ events. The complainant was concerned the broadcasts were unfair towards Parker, homosexual people (by grouping them with transgender people) and women, and that the broadcasts misrepresented Parker and the Let Women Speak events. The Authority declined to determine aspects of the complaints, given similar findings in recent decisions, and otherwise found the broadcasts did not breach the applicable broadcasting standards. Not Upheld: Discrimination and Denigration, Balance, Accuracy, Fairness; Declined to Determine: Discrimination and Denigration, Balance, Accuracy, Fairness (section 11(b) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 – in all of the circumstances)...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1996-056 Decision No: 1996-057 Dated the 16th day of May 1996 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of complaints by FRANK CRAFTS of Te Puke and G H MILNE of Wainuiomata Broadcaster TV3 NETWORK SERVICES LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

ComplaintOff the Wire – radio comedy - comment that fat people are greedy and smelly – unfair – bad taste – encourages negative stereotypes FindingsPrinciple 1 – context – no uphold Principle 5 – not news or current affairs – not applicablePrinciple 6 – specific person not referred to – no upholdPrinciple 7 Guideline 7a – satirical exception to encouraging denigration – no uphold – Guideline 7b – not children’s normally accepted listening time – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] Off the Wire, a radio comedy, was broadcast on National Radio at about 9. 05pm on Friday 1 November 2002, and repeated at 1. 30pm the next day. In dealing with a news item about a doctor being sacked from an overseas hospital, a participant had stated that "fat people are greedy and smelly – don’t trust them"....

During a broadcast of Mike Hosking Breakfast, Hosking discussed his predictions for the upcoming Hamilton West by-election, commenting that Dr Gaurav Sharma would be the ‘biggest loser’ and stating he was a ‘nobody. ’ Later in the programme, Hosking discussed the Broadcasting Standards Authority’s (our) recently released annual report, commenting the BSA is ‘a complete and utter waste of time. ’ The complainant alleged these comments breached multiple broadcasting standards. In the context of the broadcast, the Authority found Hosking’s comments were not likely to cause widespread disproportionate offence or distress, and did not result in any unfairness to Dr Sharma or the BSA. The discrimination and denigration, balance, accuracy and privacy standards either did not apply or were not breached. Not Upheld: Offensive and Disturbing Content, Discrimination and Denigration, Balance, Accuracy, Privacy, Fairness...

The Authority has not upheld complaints that the action taken by Warner Bros. Discovery in response to a breach of the accuracy and fairness standards – during a Newshub Live at 6pm item on Immigration New Zealand’s decision to allow Posie Parker’s entry to New Zealand – was insufficient. The broadcaster upheld the complaints relating to a clip of Parker, which the reporter stated had been blurred because Parker was ‘using a hand signal linked to white supremacists’. The broadcaster conceded that blurring Parker’s hands was potentially misleading as it prevented audiences from making their own assessment of the footage, and potentially unfair as Parker’s intention was unclear. The broadcaster removed the video in the online version of the story and replaced it with a clip of Parker’s position on neo-Nazis, which the Authority found was sufficient and proportionate action in the circumstances....

The Authority has not upheld complaints that action taken by Radio New Zealand Ltd was insufficient, after the broadcaster upheld the complaints under the accuracy standard about a statement in a news bulletin that a recent ruling by the International Court of Justice had found Israel ‘not guilty of genocide. ’ While the Authority agreed with the broadcaster’s decision to uphold the complaints, it found RNZ had taken sufficient steps in response to the complaints, by broadcasting an on-air correction within a reasonable period after the bulletin at issue, as well as posting a correction to its website. Other standards alleged to have been breached by the broadcast were found either not to apply or not to have been breached. Not Upheld: Accuracy (Action Taken), Offensive and Disturbing Content, Children’s Interests, Promotion of Illegal or Antisocial Behaviour, Discrimination and Denigration, Balance, Fairness...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint about language used in a Seven Sharp interview with Neil Finn. At two separate points in the interview, presenter Jeremy Wells and Finn referred to another band member as ‘a GC’ and a ‘good [beep]’; and later Finn quoted a review of his own album, which said, ‘red card, you [beep]’. The Authority found the broadcast was unlikely to cause widespread disproportionate offence or distress, and unlikely to adversely affect child viewers, taking into account: Seven Sharp is an unclassified news and current affairs programme targeted at adults (during which adult supervision is expected); the content was consistent with audience expectations of Seven Sharp and Jeremy Wells; Wells and Finn had the right to express themselves in language of their choosing (within the boundaries of the standards); and all uses of the c-word were appropriately censored....

ComplaintOne News – item about gender income differences – unbalanced – inaccurate – denigration and discrimination of male employers FindingsStandard 4 – range of perspectives presented – no uphold Standard 5 – no inaccuracies – no uphold Standard 6 – not unfair to male employers – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] A One News programme, broadcast at 6. 00pm on 20 June 2002, featured an item which sought to explain census figures which showed that women were earning less than their male counterparts. [2] Peter Zohrab, on behalf of the New Zealand Equality Education Foundation, complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the news item was unbalanced, inaccurate, and encouraged denigration and discrimination against male employers....

Complaints under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Radio Live – (1) talkback host on 11 October criticised New Zealand Aids Foundation for what he regarded as its promotion of the gay lifestyle – allegedly denigratory, unbalanced and unfair(2) talkback host on 12 October expressed dislike for most gay men – allegedly denigratory, unbalanced and unfairFindings (both 11 and 12 October broadcasts) Principle 4 (balance) – exchanges did not amount to discussions about a controversial of public importance – not upheldPrinciple 5 (fairness) – no obligation to give the NZAF a right of reply taking into account brevity of throw-away comments made by talkback host – not upheldPrinciple 7 and guideline 7a (denigration) – threshold not met – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1992-054:Rickit and Independent Broadcasting Company (1990) Ltd - 1992-054 PDF393. 82 KB...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 102/95 Decision No: 103/95 Dated the 5th day of October 1995 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of complaints by MEDIAWOMEN of Wellington and LINDA McDOUGALL of London Broadcaster RADIO PACIFIC LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1997-071 Dated the 19th day of June 1997 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by ROBERT TERRY of Reefton Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1996-144 Dated the 31st day of October 1996 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by ALLAN GOLDEN of Porirua Broadcaster RADIO NEW ZEALAND LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989The Toast Breakfast Show – host commented on Telecom’s outsourcing of call centre work overseas – made reference to “stupid Filipino operators” – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency and discrimination and denigration FindingsStandard 7 (denigration and discrimination) – host’s remark lacked the necessary invective to reach threshold for encouraging discrimination or denigration – not upheld Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – host’s comment was an expression of frustration with Telecom and a throw-away line – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] During The Toast Breakfast Show, broadcast on UPFM on the morning of 14 December 2009, one of the hosts commented on Telecom’s outsourcing of call centre work for its 018 directory service....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Radio Live – host described the late King of Tonga as “King, fat King, brown slug King, Tupou the fourth of Tonga” – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency and denigratoryFindingsPrinciple 1 (good taste and decency) – contextual factors – not upheldPrinciple 7 (social responsibility) and guideline 7a (denigration) – comments were made about an individual, not a “section of the community” – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast[1] During a Radio Live talkback programme between 9am–12pm on Tuesday 12 September 2006, host and Mayor of Wanganui Michael Laws commented that he had been amazed to receive a directive from the Prime Minister’s office that the city should fly the New Zealand flag at half mast to mark the passing of the King of Tonga, Tāufa ’āhau Tupou IV....

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1998-087 Dated the 6th day of August 1998 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by PAUL SHAND of Auckland Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LTD S R Maling Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod J Withers...

SummaryAn episode of Newsflash broadcast on TV 2 on 15 September 1998 at 8. 00pm contained, among other things, skits with a religious theme. Mrs Gruijters complained to Television New Zealand Ltd that the skits were tasteless and offensive and she objected to what she perceived as an attempt to get laughs at all costs. TVNZ responded informally in the first instance, and when asked to respond formally, advised that it considered the complainant’s objection was really one of personal preference rather than an assertion that statutory standards had been breached. Dealing with the specific matters to which Mrs Gruijters objected, it maintained that there was nothing in the programme which breached the good taste standard, and nothing which represented any group as inherently inferior or encouraged discrimination against them. Dissatisfied with TVNZ’s response, Mrs Gruijters referred the complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority under s....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Radio Live – host likened the appearance of a talent show contestant to that of a person suffering from an intellectual disability – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency and social responsibility standards Findings Principle 7 (social responsibility) – host’s comments intended to be positive – item lacked necessary invective to amount to encouraging denigration – not upheld Principle 1 (good taste and decency) – host had no intention to insult or offend – contextual factors – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An item broadcast on Radio Live on 27 August 2007 discussed a British talent show contestant named Paul Potts and his rapid rise to fame after his singing audition on the programme “Britain’s Got Talent”....

A news bulletin on Newstalk ZB reported on the upcoming speaking tour of New Zealand by Posie Parker. The complainant considered the item’s portrayal of Parker (including through its tone and description of Parker as an ‘anti-trans rights activist’ and a ‘trans-exclusionary speaker’ rather than a ‘women’s rights campaigner’) was in breach of the balance, fairness, accuracy and discrimination and denigration broadcasting standards. The Authority found the balance standard did not apply as the item was a straightforward news report which did not ‘discuss’ a controversial issue of public importance and, in any event, listeners would have been aware of alternative viewpoints. The Authority also found, given Parker’s views, the descriptions ‘anti-trans rights activist’ and ‘trans-exclusionary speaker’ were fair and accurate. The discrimination and denigration standard did not apply. Not Upheld: Balance, Fairness, Discrimination and Denigration, Accuracy...