SPCS

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS INC.

Broadcasting Standards Authority uphold Seven Sharp complaint

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Prime-time current affairs show Seven Sharp has been issued with a complaint from the Broadcasting Standards Authority, after airing an “imbalanced” story about voluntary euthanasia in March of this year.

In light of the widely-publicised Lecretia Seales case which followed, the story proved extremely topical, timely and relevant however, according to the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA), also “lacked balance”.

The item was broadcast in March this year and featured the story of a terminally ill woman who is a long-standing voluntary euthanasia campaigner,” the BSA said in a statement on Monday.

“It also discussed the history of attempts to legalise voluntary euthanasia in New Zealand and overseas.

“The BSA found the item did not solely approach the issue of voluntary euthanasia from the personal perspective of the interviewee. It included a wider discussion of the voluntary euthanasia debate and law reform. This meant the broadcaster should have presented more than one side of the issue.” [Read more…]

BSA Criticised by Family First NZ For Refusing Name Suppression on Complaint

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In a media release issued today, Family First NZ, a registered charity with the Charities Commission, has criticised the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) for refusing name suppression sought by a complainant.

It says that potential complainants may not speak up and complain about breaches of broadcasting standards as a result of the BSA refusing to grant name suppression to complainants.

“It takes a lot of courage for complainants to speak up about broadcasting breaches and it serves no purpose for their names to be broadcast or printed in the media. Families will be less inclined to speak up if they know they will have their name splashed across the media, and especially where they are complaining about what they consider a moral issue which they feel strongly about,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. [Read more…]

Media Matters in NZ to fight BSA ruling

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Media Matters in New Zealand Inc., a registered charity with the Charities Commission, has engaged Tony Ellis QC, one of our country’s most respected Civil Rights lawyers, to fight the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) recent decision to penalise Donald McDonald for his use of the BSA complaint system.  Tax-payer funded lawyers acting for the BSA and TVNZ will engage with Tony Ellis QC in the High Court of New Zealand and Media Matters is seeking funding support for its legal action from its members.  

Registered as a charity on 30 June 2008 (CC42477), Media Matters in New Zealand Inc (Incorporating Children’s Media Watch) exists among other things to warn and alert New Zealanders to the “dangers” posed by the media, “especially its threat to the well-being of the young and vulnerable in our society”. It encourages its members to use the BSA complaints system where there has been a perceived breach by the broadcaster of the Broadcasting Standards (as set out clearly in legislation – see the BSA website). The Society for Promotion of Community Standards Inc. also encourages its members to do likewise and it fully endorses the objectives of this charity.

John Terris, National President Media Matters, in his recent notification to members of the organisation’s forthcoming AGM on 9 November 2011, wrote:

“One of the few avenues available to us is the complaints system, administered by the Broadcasting Standards Authority, which, has become so permissive that it is now turning on the very people it was set up 20 years ago to serve. (See BSA.govt.nz Decision No. 20120)

“In an unprecidented move, the BSA actually fined one of our members, Donald McDonald of Wellington,  just because, in their view, he complains too much. And why would he not, given the disregard for accuracy which characterizes our television news.

“Simply put, they want to stop him from complaining (as he does on a regular basis) so they can ignore the serious negative effects of TV on the young, reflected in things like the rising rate of youth crime, the misuse of drugs and alcohol, and the climate of greed and envy and all other ills in our society which televisions feeds and nurtures.”

[The BSA has chosen to target Don McDonald] “a pensioner of limited means who is a member of the Royal Society of NZ and a respected scientist, while art the same time. they penalise our television channels with a slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket when they err instead of imposing a hefty fine for their shameless exploitation of our kids.”

Source: Media Matters in NZ Newsletter/AGM Advert – written by President John Terris.

Media Matters in NZ Inc. calls for BSA to be disbanded for penalizing complainant

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Media Matters in New Zealand Inc. – a registered charity with the Charities Commission – in its press release issued on Sunday, has called for the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) to be disbanded. The charity was registered with the Commission on 30 June 2008 (Reg. No. CC4277)

see: http://www.viewers.org.nz/Press_Release_20110814.html

BSA fines complainant Donald MacDonald

Press Statement: Media Matters in NZ | Sunday, 14 August 2011

It appears from its decision in respect of a complaint from one of our members, Donald MacDonald, a retired scientist, about news accuracy, which has resulted in its effectively fining Mr MacDonald for having the temerity to complain, that the Broadcasting Standards Authority has relinquished any claim to credibility as a monitor of standards in NZ Broadcasting.

Instead of having on the broadcasters for their persistent breaches of acceptable standards, especially in respect of sex violence and bad language, all of which it continues to allow to be thrust daily into the faces of the young and vulnerable in our society, the BSA has decided to go after complainants instead.

The sum of $50 (see attached BSA decision 2011-020) may seem small but Mr MacDonald is an elderly beneficiary who cannot afford any sort of financial impediment.  Instead of penalizing him financially, they should be pinning a medal on his chest for the many times he has complained in a valiant if vain attempt to make the BSA live up to its responsibilities. [Read more…]

BSA Slams TVNZ’s Close Up Porn Promotion

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Media Release by Family First NZ, a registered charity with the NZ Charities Commission.

“The trend by the networks to sexualise news and current events is disturbing” – Family First NZ

Family First NZ is welcoming a ruling from the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) demanding that TVNZ publicly acknowledge their breach of broadcasting standards for a programme in August 2010 which offended many families with its gratuitous display of the porn industry. TVNZ has also been ordered to pay a paltry $3,000 fine.

“As a result of a campaign by Family First supporters, TVNZ received an ‘unprecedented’ number of complaints regarding this programme. The Close Up story was based around the promotion of the porn industry – all under the guise of so-called ‘daily news and current events’. The trend by the television networks to sexualise news and current events and use sexual innuendo is disturbing,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. [Read more…]