Broadcasting authority warns serial complainer

The Broadcasting Standards Authority has again warned a serial complainer that if he makes any more trivial complaints they will stop listening to him.

The authority handled four complaints by Donald McDonald last year and has just released its second decision for this year. This time Mr McDonald complained that in a Close Up article on TV One on January 21 this year the presenter had said "the big quake struck just after sunrise".

Mr McDonald complained that the earthquake had happened at least one hour and 45 minutes after sunrise.

Television New Zealand initially replied to Mr McDonald that the term had been used as a general term meaning as people were beginning their day but Mr McDonald wasn't satisfied.

The authority agreed "just after sunrise" was a general figure of speech and warned Mr McDonald against further such complaints.

"Should the complainant continue to do so, the authority may decline to determine similar complaints on the grounds that they are trivial."

Last month, it decided against Mr McDonald when he complained that One News wouldn't broadcast a correction for saying an iceberg was 2000 cubic metres, rather than kilometres, in size. They found the error was minor and said Mr McDonald risked his complaints being seen as "trivial or vexatious".

Other complaints from Mr McDonald have been dismissed but he has had some success.

He was successful in complaining that a TV3 item on telephone prices used an incorrect graphic that should have been corrected, but his claim of $243 costs was declined.

- NZPA


* Clarification: The Donald McDonald described by the Broadcasting Standard Authority as a serial complainer, is not the Donald W. McDonald who lives at Ryan Place, Manukau City.