Sex scene, 'killer' promo complaints upheld

TVNZ has breached broadcasting standards by showing a sex scene involving Keisha Castle-Hughes, and a serial killer promo at times when children were likely to be watching. Photo / Supplied

The Broadcasting Standards Authority has found Close Up breached children's interests by showing a sex scene involving actress Keisha Castle-Hughes.

The authority also ordered TVNZ to pay a $2000 penalty for a promo featuring a serial killer and defended comments by Michael Laws promoting sterilisation of abusive parents.

In a string of decisions made last week, the BSA ruled against a Close Up interview with Castle-Hughes about The Vintner's Luck.

A man complained to the BSA about a clip that showed "a man seducing a girl (kissing her boobs) and he eventually ended up with his head under her dress for quite some time".

Mr Taylor said this left little to the imagination and questioned whether it was appropriate for 7pm when children were watching.

In its defence, TVNZ argued that, while some sexual activity was shown, there was no nudity and "what was happening was not explained in any way", the BSA said.

The authority ruled that a sex scene in the 7pm news programme - during a PGR time-band - was gratuitous and unsuitable for child viewers.

"Even though the sexual activity was implied, we consider that it would have been clear to older children what was taking place, and that any younger children who were watching would have questioned the man's actions."

The BSA said the decision would serve as a reminder to broadcasters to exercise care when broadcasting sexual material in unclassified programmes during the PGR time-band.

Meanwhile, a promo featuring a serial killer cost TVNZ $2000 after incorrectly being classified as suitable for a general audience.

The advertisement for the documentary Real Crime: Interview with a Serial Killer showed footage of a serial killer saying he had snapped a woman's neck.

The promo was shown at 5.25pm on a Wednesday afternoon, during a G (general) time band.

A complainant told the BSA her child had been disturbed by the promo.

TVNZ said while the promo showed the man talking about being a serial killer, it did not contain any violent images. But the BSA found the promo contained violent themes which would have alarmed child viewers.

"The broadcaster did not adequately consider the interests of child viewers by broadcasting during children's normally accepted viewing times."

TVNZ has been ordered to pay $2000 to the Crown with warnings of heavier penalties for any similar breaches in the future.

The BSA also received complaints that Michael Laws had breached standards for good taste and decency, controversial issues, accuracy, fairness, discrimination and denigration and responsible programming.

While discussing violence against children, Laws suggested abusive parents should be sterilised.

"These are the sorts of people that should not be allowed to have children.

"These people, for God's sake, the whole idea that they can go out and breed... what, the next generation of misfits and baby-killers like them, I'm sorry it shouldn't be an option," he said.

But the BSA ruled that Laws did not stray beyond the bounds of good taste and decency.

"In our view, while Mr Laws' views on involuntary sterilisation were extreme, he was entitled to hold those views, to discuss them, and to defend them vigorously against those who held a different perspective.

"We also find that listeners would have been aware that Mr Laws was taking a deliberately controversial and extreme position, as he is well known for doing, to be provocative and to generate discussion."

- NZPA