BSA Pānui - Timely Tools

Number 168

Kia ora koutou

With daylight saving and school holidays kicking off this weekend, this is an ideal time for another reminder about the tools audiences can use to keep TV viewing safe for the whānau.

The switch to ‘holiday mode’, just as the clocks go forward an hour, can spell a shake-up in kids’ regular sleeping and viewing patterns, making them more vulnerable to straying into unsuitable content.

The good news is that parents and caregivers can go a long way towards preventing this with a little know-how about the tools at their disposal – including classifications, timebands and parental locks.

Classifications and audience advisories

Broadcasters display classifications (G, PG, M, 16, 18) to signpost the viewer age a programme is suitable for.

Different content types are spelled out via audience advisories (L – language may offend; S – sexual content may offend; V – contains violence; C – content may offend). The classifications and advisories relevant to a given broadcast are shown in programme listings.

Broadcasters must ensure programmes are appropriately classified and should use an audience advisory if the programme is likely to disturb, distress or offend a significant number of viewers or be outside audience expectations.

News, current affairs, sports and live content is not subject to classification. However, broadcasters must be mindful of children’s interests and other broadcasting standards and include audience advisories where appropriate.

Timebands

A timeband is the time of day programmes of a certain classification can be screened on free-to-air TV. Knowing what can play at what time can help parents and caregivers to protect children from inappropriate content:

• G and PG programmes can screen any time.
• M programmes can screen when school-aged kids are at school (from 9am to 3pm on weekdays, except during school and public holidays) and after 7.30pm until 5am.
• Programmes classified 16 can screen after 8.30pm until 5am.
• Programmes classified 18 can screen after 9.30pm until 5am.

The difference in timebands for M programmes, according to whether it’s a school or non-school day, reflects when tamariki might be watching. The adjusted timebands will apply in the upcoming school holidays.

With the evenings lighter now and holiday bedtime routines potentially more relaxed, it’s important to remember that the start of evening screening times for M, 16 and 18 programmes stay the same – even if the kids are up later.

There are no timebands for pay TV, reflecting the choice viewers make to subscribe, but pay-TV broadcasters are expected to use classifications and advisories and promote parental controls.

Parental locks

Viewers can password block programmes or (on SKY) specific channels via parental locks. To password-block adult content, parents can block programmes classified PG, AO, M, 16 and 18.

Guides to using parental locks are available from Freeview hereopen_in_new and SKY hereopen_in_new.

More information on all of the tools, including our quick guide videoopen_in_new and handy viewer guides in multiple languages, can be seen on the BSA website.

Regulatory update

You may have seen news that the Government, as previously signalled, has now introduced legislationopen_in_new to disestablish the BSA. Passage through the parliamentary process may take some time and we will be ready to assist with a smooth transition once change is enacted.

We agree that the 1989 Broadcasting Act is no longer fit for purpose, and have been calling for legislative change for more than 15 years. Abolishing the BSA is a step in that direction and, while we don’t believe having no regulation is the answer, we recognise it’s for policymakers to determine the shape of any future arrangements.

We’ve given feedback, where requested, on implementation of the government’s plans. The Authority exists by statute and will continue in its role until new legislation takes effect.

Broadcasters should keep airing publicity notices on the complaints process and submitting annual levy returns. If you have any questions, feel free to email or give us a call.

If you see a chance to share the information in this Pānui with others who may find it useful, please don’t hesitate to do so.

Ngā mihi mahana
Stacey Wood
Chief Executive

open_in_new Featured decisions

Jacobson and NZME Radio Ltd - 2026-019 (11 August 2026)open_in_new

A majority of the Authority has upheld a complaint that a message read out during Easter Monday Afternoon with Francesca on Newstalk ZB breached the discrimination and denigration standard. The host had invited discussion on US President Donald Trump’s threats of escalation as part of the US-Iran conflict. The message read: ‘Israel is running the show and 80% of advisers around Trump are Jews. A Jew gifted $250 million to Trump personally at his electioneering time and he took it happily. Rubio is heavily linked to the Jewish community and society.’ The majority noted the broadcaster’s ability to exercise editorial control, community expectations around discriminatory content and the real and serious harms that can result from antisemitic tropes. It found the message clearly evoked negative tropes about Jewish people, and reading it out with no challenge served to embed these negative stereotypes. A minority of the Authority found any potential harm from the comment did not reach the high threshold required to justify regulatory intervention. In the context, the minority found it was unlikely to carry influence or authority of a nature likely to promote the antisemitic trope among listeners.

Upheld By Majority: Discrimination and Denigration

WK and The Platform Media NZ Ltd - 2025-063A-B (11 August 2026)open_in_new

Following its interlocutory decision finding it has jurisdiction under the Broadcasting Act 1989 to consider a complaint about The Platform’s Live Talkback,1 the Broadcasting Standards Authority has determined two complaints about online broadcasts by The Platform on 22 July 2025 and 15 October 2025 – both of which have been upheld.

22 July 2025 broadcast: Upheld – s 4(1)(a) good taste and decency

15 October 2025 broadcast: Upheld – s 4(1)(b) law and order; s 4(1)(c) privacy 

No Order 

Agrawal and MediaWorks Radio Ltd - 2026-028 (26 August 2026)open_in_new

The Authority has not upheld a complaint a segment of Mai Home Run, discussing Japan’s population crisis, breached the discrimination and denigration standard. The hosts commented on how Japan could ‘get tips from India’ as the world’s most populous country. The complainant considered the segment denigrated Indian people. Within the context of the broadcast, the Authority found the comments were unlikely to encourage the different treatment, or devalue the reputation, of Indian people.

Not Upheld: Discrimination and Denigration 

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