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Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]An episode of Shortland Street featured a character using the phrase (according to the accompanying closed captions), ‘You’ve got no freaking idea…’ The Authority did not uphold a complaint that this phrase breached the good taste and decency standard because in the complainant’s view, the character actually said ‘f***ing’. The Authority noted that if broadcasters wish to broadcast sanitised versions of unacceptable words, then it is their responsibility to make it clear that it is not the offensive word that is being uttered, but rather a word which is distinctly aurally different. Here, where there was some uncertainty about what was said, the Authority did not uphold the complaint....

Warning: This decision contains language that some readers may find offensive The Authority has not upheld a complaint that action taken by NZME was insufficient, after it upheld a complaint about language used in an interview on The Nutters Club. The interviewee told his story of overcoming drug addiction and offending, and now working to help others do the same. After saying, ‘Excuse all my language I use, too, it will get a little bit worse, it’s just how it is when you remember’, the interviewee used the words ‘fuck’, ‘shit’, and ‘arse’ (and variations of these) repeatedly. The Authority determined it would not have found a breach of the standards in the first instance, in the context of the broadcast....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]An episode of Cold Feet, a British comedy-drama series which followed the intertwining lives of three couples at different stages in their relationships, contained sex scenes. The Authority did not uphold a complaint that the sex scenes breached the children’s interests and good taste and decency standards. Cold Feet was not targeted at child viewers, it was classified Adults Only and broadcast during an appropriate timeband, and was preceded by a specific warning for sex scenes. The level of sexual content was not overly explicit and was justified by the episode’s narrative context. Overall the broadcaster adequately ensured child viewers could be protected from adult content, and the episode would not have offended or surprised the general viewing audience....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]An item on Checkpoint reported on the final stages of a court case in Auckland, known as the ‘Dome Valley’ kidnapping, in which a young woman was kidnapped, beaten, sexually violated and left to die by a group of her former friends. The reporter outlined the events of the kidnapping and the item featured segments of the victim giving evidence (with her voice disguised) via audio-visual link from another room in the closed court. The reporter and the victim outlined her assault and injuries in some detail. No audience advisory was broadcast....

The Authority did not uphold a complaint about a reference to ‘the heebies’ in a Newshub item canvassing reactions to Judith Collins’ appointment as leader of the National Party. The reporter asked then National MP Paula Bennett on camera, ‘Will this give Jacinda Ardern the heebies, do you reckon? ’ The complainant argued the term could be interpreted as offensive slang for Jew. The Authority considered most viewers would have understood the term as common slang used to express a feeling of nervousness or anxiety, rather than embedding derogatory connotations about Jewish people as a section of the community. Given the ambiguity around the term’s origins, it found its use in the context was unlikely to encourage discrimination or denigration, or threaten community standards of taste and decency. Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Discrimination and Denigration...

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]A complaint about comments, made by contestants about a landscaper during an episode of The Block, was not upheld. During the episode, a new landscaper started work on the property of contestants, Chlo and Em. Em referred to the landscaper and said, ‘Who’s that new meat on The Block? Come over. ’ Chlo then said ‘Some fresh meat for Em’. The complainant submitted the references to the landscaper as ‘meat’ were sexist, unacceptable and amounted to sexual harassment. The Authority highlighted the importance of context when considering whether comments of a sexual nature have breached broadcasting standards. The Authority noted that, in some contexts, these comments could be considered to be inappropriate. In this case, however, the comments did not go beyond audience expectations of The Block....

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1997-122 Dated the 18th day of September 1997 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by G L BROWN of Nelson Broadcaster TV3 NETWORK SERVICES LIMITED S R Maling Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1996-084 Dated the 1st day of August 1996 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by ELIZABETH PATON-SIMPSON of Auckland Broadcaster TV3 NETWORK SERVICES LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1996-044 Dated the 18th day of April 1996 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by PAUL McBRIDE of Rotorua Broadcaster TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

A promo for Naked and Afraid of Love aired during the programme Aussie Gold Hunters at 5. 56pm on Three. The Authority did not uphold a complaint the promo breached the good taste and decency and children’s interests standards as it was consistent with the PG classification for Aussie Gold Hunters and was unlikely to cause widespread undue offence or distress. Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Children’s Interests...

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 19893 News – item reported that a man had been found guilty of murdering another man then eating parts of the murdered man’s body – provided details of the man's cannibalistic act – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency, programme classification, children’s interests and violence Findings Standard 10 (violence) – item contained graphic and violent details of a murder and cannibalism – required a specific warning – upheld Standard 9 (children’s interests) – broadcaster failed to adequately consider the interests of child viewers – upheld Standard 7 (programme classification) – standard not applicable – not upheld Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – subsumed into consideration of children's interests and violence No Order This headnote does not form part of the decision....

Complaints under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Holmes – interview with father of escaped prisoner – used words “arsehole” and “bugger” – allegedly offensiveFindings Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – context – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] A father whose son had escaped from prison was interviewed in an item broadcast on Holmes at 7. 00pm on 22 April 2004. The father, whose home had been burgled by his son on at least three occasions, appealed to his son to give himself up. During the interview, the father used the word “arsehole” and also used the word “bugger” at least three times. Complaint [2] Gary Welch and Don Campbell each complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the use of the word “arsehole” was unacceptable and in breach of the standard requiring good taste and decency....

ComplaintTeachers – promo – reference to periods, sanitary towels and tampons – offensive FindingsStandard 1 and Guideline 1a – context – time of broadcast – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] A promo for the series Teachers was broadcast during the screening on TV One of the Led Zeppelin concert The Song Remains the Same, which started at 10. 30pm on Saturday 5 April 2003. [2] G E Williams complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the references to periods, sanitary towels and tampons in the promo, broadcast without warning, were offensive. [3] Initially TVNZ treated the complaint, in error, as an informal one. When it responded to the formal complaint, TVNZ contended that the references were not inherently offensive and, furthermore, had been broadcast more than two hours after the 8. 30pm watershed. It declined to uphold the complaint....

ComplaintPromos – The Strip – sexual material – allegedly offensive – promos for AO programme screened in G and PGR time-bands – inappropriate FindingsStandard 1 – contextual factors – no uphold Standard 5 – not relevant – no uphold Standard 7 – majority – promos appropriately classified PGR – minority – inappropriate rating – classification code AO should have been used – two promos shown during 3 News – failed to comply with PGR time-band – uphold; majority – promo shown during 20/20 – complied with PGR time-band – no uphold – minority – inappropriate classification – breachNo Order This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] Promos for The Strip were broadcast by TV3 at various times on 30 June, 1 and 6 July 2003....

Complaint Titus – "whore" – "ho" – offensive language – incorrect classification – broadcaster not mindful of the programme’s effect on children FindingsStandard G2 – context – no uphold Standard G8 – PGR rating correct – no uphold Standard G12 – correct classification and time of broadcast – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] An episode of Titus was broadcast on TV3 at 8. 00pm on 22 October 2001. Titus is an American situation comedy series. [2] Michael Hooker complained to TV3 Network Services Ltd, the broadcaster, that the use of the word "whore" in the programme breached standards relating to good taste and decency. He also considered that the broadcast had been incorrectly classified and that TV3 had not been mindful of the programme’s effect on children. [3] TV3 declined to uphold the complaint....

ComplaintLive to Air: an Election Drama – radio play – National Radio – use of words "God" and "Jesus Christ" as expletives – offensive language – blasphemy FindingsPrinciple 1 – context – no uphold Principle 7 and Guidelines 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f – only Guideline 7a relevant – threshold not achieved – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] Live to Air: an Election Drama was the title of a fifty minute-long radio play broadcast on National Radio at 4. 05pm on Sunday 28 July 2002. The dialogue on occasions used the words "God" and "Jesus Christ" as expletives. [2] Stella Anne McArthur complained to Radio New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, about the irreverent use of holy names. She described their use as offensive....

ComplaintQueer as Folk – promo – offensive language – shagged FindingsStandard G2 – acceptable in context – no uphold Cross ReferencesDecision No: 1999-163, Decision No: 2000-056 and Decision No: 2000-075 This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary A promo for the programme Queer as Folk was broadcast on TV4 at approximately 10pm on 23 February 2000. During the promo, the word "shag" was used twice. Paul Schwabe complained to TV3 Network Services Ltd, the broadcaster, that the word "shag" was "plainly offensive" and "akin to the ‘F’ word". In its response, TV3 said it did not consider that the average viewer would consider the word "shag" to be a swear word or an offensive term. It also noted that the promo was broadcast at 10pm within an AO programme. It declined to uphold the complaint....

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....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Eating Media Lunch – item parodied “naked” news programmes – allegedly in breach of good taste and decencyFindingsStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – sequence unnecessarily lengthy – gratuitously explicit – upheldNo OrderThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] Eating Media Lunch is a series that lampoons aspects of the media both in New Zealand and overseas. The use of semi-naked news presenters in some countries was featured in the item broadcast on TV2 starting at 10. 00pm on Tuesday 15 November 2005. [2] The item presented the “Fuck News” which was said to originate in France. The item showed two partly dressed presenters who seemed to be having sexual intercourse while reading the news....