Boobs on Bikes complaint denied

A complaint about television footage of bare-breasted women from last year's Boobs on Bikes parade has not been upheld by the Broadcasting Standards Authority.

Ami Angus of North Shore City complained to the authority about the TV3 news broadcast of the parade, saying it breached good taste and decency, programme classification and children's interests.

TV3 had not warned viewers that there was nudity, she said. Ms Angus said children should not have "explicit images" of bare-breasted women forced upon them without warning.

The item was "definitely gratuitous and intended to titillate viewers", she said in her complaint.

In its decision, the authority said while the parade was not to everyone's tastes, it was a newsworthy event that had drawn a large crowd.

It said the report had focused on the crowd response to the parade, and had only contained two brief shots of bare-breasted women. The authority found that the teasers gave viewers adequate opportunity to stop watching and a teaser showing bare breasts did not breach good taste and decency standards.

- NZPA