SPCS

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS INC.

‘Crass’ News Item on Child Abuse Draws Formal Complaint [from Family First NZ]

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MEDIA RELEASE: 28 December 2010 Source www.familyfirst.org.nz

Family First NZ has laid an official complaint with the Broadcasting Standards Authority over a disgraceful TV3 Nightline news story (ref. 1) broadcast on the day before Christmas Eve which trivialised and made light of child sex abuse. [Family First NZ is a registered charity with the NZ Charities Commission and its objectives are supported by SPCS].

“It was broadcast only 24 hours after it had been revealed (ref. 2) that the horrendous case of child abuse of a West Auckland 9 year old that had shocked the nation also involved sexual abuse by a CYF caregiver. It was also introduced by the presenter with the pun ‘a touching Christmas story’,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“It was crass, completely inappropriate, and offensive to many people who would have been shocked, revolted and upset by the revelations of severe and long-term abuse of a nine year old which was in the news.” [Read more…]

BSA decisions welcomed by Family First NZ

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Complaint over ‘raunchy’ soap opera upheld Kirsty Johnston Stuff News 20/09/10

A “raunchy and sexually charged scene” from an episode of Home and Away has earned TV3 a slap on the wrist for breaching standards of good taste and decency….

Full story: http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv/4146025/Complaint-over-raunchy-soap-scene-upheld

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Sex creeps into early prime time TV

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NZ Herald Friday Sep 3, 2010

A respected children’s media expert is lamenting that kids have been sacrificed to sleaze under New Zealand’s TV standards system. Ruth Zanker is a lecturer at Christchurch Polytechnic and a researcher who has specialised in children and the media. She has noted a change. “There is a general sexualising that has gone on with tabloidisation of media – sex is the easy way of making a hit and it boosts ratings. Children are being sacrificed on the altar of ratings,” she says. Zanker has noted an increasing level of sexuality creeping into early prime time as the TV networks chase ratings. It is a difficult time and parents are either unwilling or unable to police their kids’ viewing. Zanker says New Zealand’s broadcasting laws have created the problem. The Broadcasting Standards Authority acts on complaints. But few complain and the BSA has steered at freedom of speech rather the protection of children, she says.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10670696

[Article highlighted on website by Family First NZ – A well-respected charity registered with the Charities Commission. See www.familyfirst.org.nz and www.charities.govt.nz ]

TVNZ fined $2000 by BSA for screening Serial Killer Promo to children

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A promo featuring a serial killer cost TVNZ $2000 after incorrectly being classified as suitable for a general audience. The advertisement for Real Crime: Interview with a Serial Killer had footage of a serial killer saying he had snapped a woman’s neck. It was shown at 5.25 pm on a Wednesday, in a G (general) timeslot. A complainant said her child had been disturbed by the documentary promo. TVNZ said the promo did not contain any violent images. But the BSA found it contained violent themes which would have alarmed child viewers. Source NZPA (The Dominion Post 14/03/10).

BSA Report on Children’s Television Viewing: Cause for Alarm

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Media Release: 8 May 2008

The Society is not surprised that over half the sample (56%) of more than 600 adult “primary caregivers” of children aged between six and 13, who were interviewed as part of a report into children’s television viewing habits; were unable to identify 8.30 p.m. as the time after which programmes that are NOT suitable for children are shown on television The report containing this statistic entitled Seen and Heard, dated 6 May 2008, was commissioned by the BSA – the Broadcasting Standards Authority.

In response, the Families Commission issued a media release, calling for the 8.30 p.m. “watershed time” – to be more widely publicised by broadcasters. But is this an adequate response if the Commission is truly concerned about certain so-called “adult-only” material – pornography, sexual violence, graphic violence, blasphemy and obscenity – being viewed, or potentially viewed, by tens of thousands of our country’s children and young persons every night of the year from 8.30 p.m. onwards? Society president John Mills says the Society says “it is a totally inadequate response” and notes “we have written to the Chief Commissioner, Dr Rajen Prasad, pointing this out and called for more effective solutions from him to the problem of children and young persons being exposed to unsuitable, morally corrosive and corrupting television content.”

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