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SummaryA radio station announcer, claiming he was doing a survey on STDs, telephoned a woman and asked a number of personal and intimate questions. The call was broadcast live on The Edge on 30 November 1998 at about 4. 00pm. J, the woman who received the call, had identified herself using her first name and employer’s name. She complained to the station that the call was a serious invasion of her privacy as she was never told that the caller was from a radio station, or that it was being broadcast live. J said the comments ranged from being personal to obscene, and cited some examples. When the matter was referred to the station initially, J received an apology both from the station manager and the announcer....

Summary An episode of Hollywood Sex, a two-part series dealing with the sex industry in Hollywood, was broadcast on TV2 on 2 September 1999 beginning at 9. 30pm. Rosemary McElroy, on behalf of Women Against Pornography, complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that in spite of the warning preceding the programme, the average adult viewer would not have expected what she described as the degree of "pornographic" content which it contained. She contended that the programme breached accepted norms of good taste and decency, and cited several examples of what she considered to be objectionable material. TVNZ noted that various aspects of the sex industry had been depicted, and that the emphasis had been on the curious and grotesque. While the nature of the sexual activity discussed had been indicated, there had been no scenes of sexual intercourse or any full frontal nudity, it observed....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Close Up – interview with actress Keisha Castle-Hughes and director Niki Caro about their new film The Vintner’s Luck – references to sex – showed scenes from the film of the main characters passionately kissing and the male character putting his head up the female’s skirt – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency and children’s interests FindingsStandard 9 (children’s interests) – sex scene was gratuitous in a current affairs programme at 7pm – unsuitable for children – upheld – language was vulgar slang unexpected in this type of programme – borderline but not upheld Standard 1 (good taste and decency) – sex scene was not sufficiently discreet for PGR timeslot – upheld – language borderline but acceptable – not upheld No Order This headnote does not form part of the decision....

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1997-008 Dated the 13th day of February 1997 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by CREDO SOCIETY INC of Auckland Broadcaster 95 bFM J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 89/94 Dated the 29th day of September 1994 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by JEFFREY RAVEN of Wellington Broadcaster PIRATE FM of Wellington I W Gallaway Chairperson J R Morris R A Barraclough L M Loates...

Summary A song entitled Closer by the group Nine Inch Nails which was broadcast by 9inety6ixdot1 on 2 February 1999 at around 5pm contained the lyrics "I want to fuck you like an animal". Mr Calver of Auckland complained to 9inety6ixdot1, the broadcaster, that the lyrics were inappropriate to be broadcast, as they offended against the observance of good taste and decency. He also complained that the lyrics had "connotations of a certain level of violence" which was inappropriate for the time of the day the song was broadcast. 9inety6ixdot1 denied that the lyric "I want to fuck you like an animal" encouraged violence. It contended that the lyric "must be read – and heard – in relation to the station’s intended audience" and, therefore, that it complied with the good taste standard in the context of its audience....

Summary A promo for the Jo Brand programme included a "stand-up" comedy routine in which the comedian related how her mother warned her not to take sweets from old men. In relating the story, she used the expression "getting his knob out". The promo was broadcast on TV4 on 26 January 1999 at 7. 40pm during a PGR-rated programme. Mr Raffray complained to TV4 Network Ltd, the broadcaster, that the language used resulted in the broadcast of AO content during a PGR time-slot, without any warning, and during a programme which appealed to younger viewers. TV4 responded that the promo had a "hard PGR" rating which, it wrote, meant that it could not screen in programmes aimed at children. Because of the way the joke was told, the colloquial words were obscure enough not to be understood by younger viewers, it added....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1992-052:Creevey and Independent Broadcasting Company (1990) Ltd - 1992-052299. 79 KB...

Complaints under section 8(1B)(b)(i) and 8(1B)(b)(ii) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Outrageous Fortune – coarse language broadcast during the first ten minutes of the programme including the word “cunt” – broadcaster upheld breaches of good taste and decency and children’s interests standards in relation to the use of the word “cunt” – action taken allegedly insufficientFindingsStandard 9 (children’s interests) – guideline 9b – frequent use of language amounted to broadcast of strong adult material too close to 8. 30pm watershed – broadcaster did not adequately consider children’s interests – upheld Standard 8 (responsible programming) – frequent coarse language and use of the word “cunt” in first 10 minutes of the programme constituted strong adult material that warranted an AO 9. 30pm classification and later time of broadcast – programme incorrectly classified – upheldStandard 1 (good taste and decency) – frequent coarse language before 8....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1992-001:Cowan and TV3 Network Services Ltd - 1992-001 PDF262. 35 KB...

The Authority has upheld a complaint about a broadcast of The DailyMail TV, finding that footage broadcast during the programme was inappropriate for the PGR classification and time of broadcast, and required an audience advisory for disturbing content. The programme was broadcast at 3. 30pm on a weekday, and featured partially censored footage of an American stabbing victim in the moments before she died. While the woman’s injuries were blurred, her distressed facial expression and blood splatters on the floor were visible. A second story featured censored footage of two 19-year-old women who claimed they had been drugged, filmed inside a bar naked and allegedly performing sex acts. The Authority found that this content went beyond what could be expected from a PGR-classified programme broadcast during children’s normally accepted viewing times and that the programme should have been classified AO – Adults Only....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]The music video for Nicki Minaj's song 'Only' was broadcast on MTV at 6. 50pm, in a segment classified MC. The Authority upheld the complaint that the numerous expletives and sexual references in the video were distasteful and unsuitable for uncensored broadcast at a time when younger viewers were watching. The video was incorrectly classified MC when it should have been 16LC and the explicit adult content exceeded audience expectations of the MC classification. The incorrect classification also meant that filtering technology would not have been as effective in preventing children from viewing the video as it should have been....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 19899 Songs – film included explicit scenes of unsimulated sexual intercourse, oral sex, masturbation and ejaculation – broadcast at 8. 30pm on Rialto Channel – allegedly in breach of content classification and warning standard, and good taste and decency Findings Standard P1 (content classification, warning and filtering) – 18 S classification was inadequate to advise viewers about the explicit sexual content – should have included a visual and verbal warning prior to the broadcast – upheld Standard P2 (good taste and decency) – lack of warning and audience expectations of Rialto Channel – upheld No Order This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] At 8. 30pm on Saturday 7 July 2007, a movie entitled 9 Songs was broadcast on Rialto Channel. The channel was available to both SKY Television and TelstraClear subscribers....

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 62/94 Dated the 15th day of August 1994 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by PHILLIP SMITS of Auckland Broadcaster SKY NETWORK TELEVISION SERVICES LIMITED I. W. Gallaway Chairperson J. R. Morris R. A. Barraclough L. M. Dawson...

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989The 5th Wheel – two broadcasts – overt sexual content and nudity – allegedly bad taste – allegedly inadequately classified – allegedly unacceptable themes for childrenFindings Standard S2 (good taste and decency) – context – complaint about 6. 30pm broadcast upheldStandard S2 (good taste and decency) – context – complaint about 1. 20pm broadcast not upheldStandard S20 (children) – complaint about 6. 30pm broadcast – unacceptable for broadcast during children’s normally accepted viewing times – upheldStandard S20 (children) – complaint about 1. 20pm broadcast not upheldOrder Section 16(4) – $1,500 costs to the CrownThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast[1] An episode of The 5th Wheel, an American dating show which featured overt sexual content, was broadcast on Sky1 at 6. 30pm on 9 February 2004 and repeated on 10 February 2004 at 1. 20pm....

ComplaintEmmanuelle 7 – adult movie – rape scene – offensive Findings Standard S2 – eroticised rape scene – unacceptable in context of adult movie – upheld Standard S29 – rape theme not treated with utmost care – upheldNo OrderThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary[1] The adult movie Emmanuelle 7 was screened at 12. 30am on 13 September 2003 on SKY 1. The movie is rated “18”. [2] Rudy Hueting complained to SKY Network Television Ltd, the broadcaster, that a rape scene in the movie was unsuitable for broadcast. [3] Declining to uphold the complaint, SKY maintained that in context the scene did not offend against broadcasting standards relating to good taste and decency or programmes which have rape as a theme. [4] Dissatisfied with SKY's decision, Mr Hueting referred his complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority under s. 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989....

Complaint under s. 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989The 5th Wheel – overt sexual content – allegedly bad taste and inappropriate for childrenFindings Standard S2 (good taste and decency) – context – upheld Standard S20 (children) – unacceptable for broadcast during children’s normally accepted viewing times – upheldOrder Section 16(4) – $1,500 costs to the CrownThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An episode of The 5th Wheel, an American dating show which featured overt sexual content, was broadcast on Sky1 at 6. 30pm on 5 February 2004. In the episode, two men and two women went on a date horse riding, and then to dinner. At dinner, a third woman (a Las Vegas showgirl) joined the date and the contestants then chose who they preferred to date again....

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision Nos: 116/95 - 125/95 Dated the 9th day of November 1995 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of complaints by RAPE PREVENTION GROUP (4) of Christchurch H SUTHERLAND of Christchurch F MAWSON of Christchurch JOHANNES PATER of Christchurch STEPHANIE JOHNSON of Christchurch MURRAY JOHNSON of Christchurch S FINDLAY of Christchurch SKY NETWORK TELEVISION LIMITED Broadcaster J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod...

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Shameless – programme contained sex scenes, swearing and violence – allegedly in breach of good taste and decency and children’s interests standards – broadcaster upheld complaint under content classification, warning and filtering standard FindingsAction Taken: Standard P1 (content classification, warning and filtering) – action taken by the broadcaster was sufficient – not upheld Standard P2 (good taste and decency) – incorrect classification and inadequate warning label meant that viewers were not sufficiently informed of the programme’s likely content – viewers were therefore denied the opportunity to make a different viewing choice and were more likely to be offended – upheld Standard P3 (children’s interests) – broadcaster sufficiently protected child viewers from unsuitable content by classifying the programme 16 – not upheld No OrderThis headnote does not form part of the decision....