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. Family First is referring to a decision released today regarding a Prime TV programme on the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra which included references to sexual activity and bodily functions where the complainants requested name suppression but were refused by the BSA. 

“The programmers, producers and schedulers responsible for broadcasting the material are often able to hide behind a mask of anonymity, but complainants have no similar right,” says Mr McCoskrie. 

“The issue is not who complained, but whether the complaint was warranted. This is no different to Crimestoppers, CYF, the Department of Labour, and the IRD – all which allow for anonymous complaints.” 

“The BSA should focus on the merits of the complaint, not the identity of the complainant. And complainants should be given the right to ask for name suppression.”

End

For many years the FVLB was headed by Mr William (Bill) Hood, with whom the SPCS had regular contact. He retired as FVLB committee member and executive secretary on 31/01/2011. Ms Sharon Rhodes has taken over his leadership role.

The gross income of the FVLB for “service provision” for the financial year ended 31/12/2010 was $1,504,338, according to financial records it registered with the Charities Commission (www.charities.govt.nz). From this income, $588,376 was absorbed in salaries and wages.

The FVLB employs five persons full time and two part-time  to achieve its “service provision” and the total hours worked by “all employees” per week is 262 hours (equivalent to 6.55 full time persons). Each full time equivalent employee receives on average an annual remuneration package of about $90,000 per annum.

The FVLB has been registered as a charity by the Commission on the basis that its purpose it to serve “some other public benefit” to society ( it does NOT qualify as a charity on the basis that it fulfils any one of more of the remaining three charitable purpose categories:  relief of poverty, advancement of education or adavancement of religion). (Note: The SPCS qualifies as a charity for its “advancement of public welfare” or “public well-being”, which are terms recognised in law).

All films supplied to the public must be submitted to the FVLB which rates only unrestricted films (e.g. “G”, “PG” and “M” ratings). It also cross-rates such unrestricted films that have been rated in Australia or the UK. It issues the coloured sticky labels that must be affixed to films before they can be suppliedv to the public. It also acts as the agent for distribution when films are submitted to the Office of Film and Literature (“OFLC”).

Under the law, all film distributors intending to make a film available to the public, must first submit it to the FVBL and this includes all distributors of hardcore pornographic (Adult only) titles, such as Eden Digital Ltd and Calvista Australia Pty Ltd.

The FVLB has total assets of $800,389 acording to its latest financial statement for the year ending 31/12/2010. The cost 0f service is recorded as $537,663 and the cost of its trading operations $312,840 leaving a net surplus of $1,7101.

The FVLB plays a very important role in society – making sure official stickers are attached to film advertisements in cinemas, DVD covers and videos allowing parents and care-givers to ensure that children and young persons have some idea about the rating/suitability of unrestricted films. This charitable entity also has a critical role, recognised one would hope by the Charities Commission – in ensuring that films that are intended for public screening that contain or may contain “objectionable” content and are likely to be “injurious to the public good”; are directed to the OFLC (the Chief Censor’s Office) for classication – films such as those containing gratuitous depictions of necrophilia, the sexual xploitation of children, gang rape, sexual violation and bestiality etc.

The SPCS, a recognised charitable entity, has standing in the Courts as an organisation that is entitled to appeal the classication decisions issued by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) and the Film and Literature Board of Review. It has successfully used the legitimate avenues in law open to it  to do so, both in the Court of Appeal and the High Court. It has also made applications to the Broadcasting Standards Authority relating to such matters. However, it has not pursued any legal action in the courts, thus far, since being registered as a charity with the Charities Commission on 17 December 2007.

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.

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.

The media landscape in NZ today is littered with examples where programme makers and advertisers are exploiting the young of our society, purely for profit.  Violent and sexually explicit scenes from adult programmes continue to be screened in what is supposed to be children’s only viewing time, and the BSA, by its consistent failure to insist that the Watershed which is supposed to signal programmes with adult content in them, be marked and monitored, is failing to protect our greatest asset which is our children.

The BSA refuses even to meet with us, the only media advocacy group in NZ, so that we might be able to air our concerns to them.

In short they effectively treat complainants and their advocates with ignore, while simultaneously buddying up to the broadcasters, with whom they actually share offices.

It is time for the Broadcasting Standards Authority to be disbanded, and replaced by people who are willing to stand up for decency, fairness and accuracy, instead of capitulating regularly to the battery of over-paid media lawyers who represent the electronic media in this country, who pretend to advocate Freedom of Speech when they’re actually advocating an electronic media Free-For-All.

Contact: 
John Terris
Media Matters President
Tel. (04) 566 3175
55 Queen’s Grove Lower Hutt

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

Notes:

The original media release on this story reported on by TV New Zealand News, was from The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and not the Canadian Astronomical Society (they are different organisations). The original release does say ‘240 light million years’, so is correct. The TVNZ reporter, it appears, therefore made two major errors of fact in a sentence of 16 words. The original release is easily found online: http://www.rasc.ca/artman/uploads/sn2010lt-pressrelease.pdf

TVNZ and TV3 are appealing last year’s BSA rulings which said scenes in TVNZ’s Hung and TV3′s soap Home And Away breached standards.

For full NZPA story see: http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv/4801344/Networks-appeal-sex-scene-rulings

“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.“Unfortunately, despite Family First’s request, Close Up refused to apologise on air to families for this programme, and the complaint was referred to the BSA by a concerned family. This is not the first time that Close Up has been found guilty of breaching broadcasting standards for this type of material. They continue to flout the regulations thinking that they can just easily apologise to people who make the effort to complain.”

“The BSA said that the material was ‘raunchy and sexually explicit’, ‘prolonged and sustained’, and that it would have offended a significant number of viewers. Close Up should apologise on air to families for this breach.”

“Parents are sick and tired of lunging for the remote to protect children from offensive and inappropriate content during family viewing hours and family movies. They are also disrespecting families by promoting adult programmes during family movies.”

“We would warn families that viewing news and current events programmes together as a family for educational and informational purposes is no longer guaranteed to be safe and appropriate. And that’s a tragedy.”

In a poll of 1,000 NZ’ers last year, respondents were asked, ‘Television broadcasters are obliged to protect children from sexual content, violent material, and language that exceeds current norms of good taste and decency. Are you concerned about the type of language used, or the level of violence and sex shown on TV before 8.30 pm when children are likely to be watching?’ 65% said they were concerned, 29% said they weren’t, and 6% didn’t know or refused to answer. Women and over 60 year olds were most concerned.

“While this particular decision is welcome, it’s time the broadcasters were put on notice by the BSA and the Minister of Broadcasting to clean their act up and start putting the welfare of families first and protect them from this increasing level of offensive and sexual material,” says Mr McCoskrie.

ENDS

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First: Bob McCoskrie – National Director Mob. 027 55 555 42

[Source: Family First NZ Website: 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.” “This continues the disturbing trend of sexualising news items and coverage which Family First has been highlighting to the BSA. Other examples include full frontal nudity, sexual comments relating to MP Shane Jones’ credit card use, and Close Up’s story on the porn industry which TVNZ subsequently apologised for (ref. 3).”

“The lame defence offered by the broadcaster will be ‘it’s after 8.30pm – we can do what we like’ – but it was school holiday time so children would be viewing later, it was supposed to be a news programme, and most disturbingly, it made light and was completely offensive about a serious issue which was also currently very strong in the mind of the nation and media,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“It is time that the BSA stopped turning a blind eye to the sexualisation of news items, and the trivialisation of horrific and sensitive issues such as child abuse and pornography.”

“TV3 should hang their head in shame for such offensive and insensitive programming, but unfortunately this type of programming is part of an industry-wide trend which the BSA have failed to tackle – and families are the losers.”

References:

1. http://www.3news.co.nz/Former-Shortland-St-star-finds-special-Christmas-role/tabid/418/articleID/192288/Default.aspx

2. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10695892

3. http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/issues/close_up

The script included:

I’ll tell my dad you tried to touch me.

What – I didn’t touch you.

Yes you did, you touched me down there.

That\’s bullsh*t you f*ckin liar kid.

And the actor concluded in an almost humorous and light hearted manner:

I didn’t really… touch her

ENDS

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact:

 Family First: Bob McCoskrie – National Director Mob. 027 55 555 42

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

The Broadcasting Standards Authority today upheld a complaint about the inappropriate nature of the scene for child viewers.  It found the scene breached standards relating to responsible programming, children’s interests, and good taste and decency…

In its second decision, the BSA ruled an episode of Hung, described by a complainant as “soft porn,” breached the good taste and decency standard. The episode screened on TV One at 9.50pm on March 22…. “In the majority’s view, the scene complained about was prolonged, explicit and gratuitous, leaving nothing to the imagination and designed solely for the purpose of shocking and titillating the audience,” the decision said.

“In these circumstances factors such as the programme’s AO classification and the use of a written and verbal warning were not sufficient to prevent the broadcast breaching standards of good taste and decency.”

The BSA did not issue penalties for either decision.

Lobby group Family Fist NZ [a registered charity] national director Bob McCoskrie welcomed the decisions and said he hoped they would set a precedent.

“Finally, the authority has put the welfare and protection of families before the rights of broadcasters to offend children and families with sexual and offensive content.”

-With NZPA

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

COPY OF

FAMILY FIRST NZ MEDIA RELEASE

20 September 2010

BSA Finally Wakes Up To TV Sleaze

Family First NZ is welcoming the decison by the Broadcasting Standards Authority to uphold complaints against sexual content in Home and Away – shown during ‘family viewing’ times, and the programme Hung.

“Finally, the authority has put the welfare and protection of families before the rights of broadcasters to offend children and families with sexual and offensive content,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“Our research has shown that the 5.00-8.30pm viewing slots, ironically named ‘family viewing’ times, are anything but family friendly. They are saturated with foul language and sexual images, themes and innuendo. TV3 in its defence of its programming has shown that the broadcasters simply don’t self regulate or respect the family viewing expectation. Both main broadcasters have been in a race to the bottom of broadcasting standards.”

A recent independent survey of 1000 people found that 2/3′rds were concerned with the lack of standards during family viewing times.

“Unfortunately, the BSA is going to find it difficult to get traction on a slippery slope that they have created through their ‘missing-in-action’.”

“Perhaps, finally, they have woken up,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“We hope this decision sets an important precedent, and that families can grab back their family viewing times.”

ENDS

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 ]