Ratings on TV3 fail to back up boycott claims

The threatened boycott of CanWest-owned TV3 has not made a dent in ratings but the broadcaster has received a "steady flow" of formal complaints.

TV3 spokesman Roger Beaumont said the channel had suffered no drop in ratings since the airing of the South Park cartoon "Bloody Mary" episode on sister channel C4 last week.

While no ratings were available for C4, Mr Beaumont said ratings in the key 18-49-year-old demographic for TV3 were "strong" last week.

As an example, he said TV3's evening news bulletin on Friday, February 17, before the episode of South Park screened, rated a 35 per cent viewing share. That compared with a 36 per cent rating the following Friday, after the screening.

The entertainment show Rove Live for the same dates also showed an increase in ratings from 20 per cent to 25 per cent.

The broadcaster had had a steady flow of formal complaints but Mr Beaumont could not give an exact figure.

A formal complaint to a broadcaster is the first step in a process that is likely to end up with the Broadcasting Standards Authority, which considers the merits of any complaints and decides what action, if any, should be taken against the broadcaster.

The South Park episode depicted a statue of the Virgin Mary bleeding which is taken to be a miracle until Pope Benedict suggests it is menstruation, at which point the statue spurts blood on him.

The episode has sparked protests around the world.