KEY POINTS:
The Broadcasting Standards Authority has upheld a Wellington City Council complaint against Radio New Zealand (RNZ), saying the station reported inaccurately and unfairly.
The complaint referred to three items on the station's Morning Report last April, which discussed a council proposal to scrap free weekend parking.
The council complained the report incorrectly said the council was "looking at scrapping its free weekend and evening parking in the city" and "looking at increasing its weekday meter parking charges".
The council said the background report that reviewed the council's parking policies was attached to the draft parking policy as an appendix. While the report had recommended the council consider changes to free weekend and evening parking, it was attached only as background information and was not what the council was considering.
The council said RNZ had not made a reasonable effort to represent the issues fairly or accurately.
A formal complaint about the report was made to RNZ. However, the company did not uphold the complaint, and said the report never presented the idea as policy .
The matter was then referred to the authority, who found the draft parking policy did not refer to any potential review of the free parking situation.
RNZ maintained the wording in the original Morning Report item could not have been clearer. It said: "...the ideas are part of a set of documents attached to the council's draft parking policy, which was approved for further consideration and submissions yesterday."
However, the authority ruled the consistent impression left by all three items was that the proposal to remove free weekend parking was part of the policy being considered by councillors.
The authority singled out specific wording in the reports, including: "Wellington Council is looking at scrapping its free weekend and evening parking in the city. Retailers are furious."
The authority, on request of the council, ordered RNZ to broadcast a statement summarising its decision and why the complaint had been upheld.
- NZPA
