Several complaints against Pastor Brian Tamaki's antigay broadcasts on TV2 have been upheld by the Broadcasting Standards Authority, with TVNZ's response to viewer complaints being deemed insufficient. The BSA ruled this week that Tamaki's Destiny Television broadcast did not fit the definition of a “factual programme”, so therefore was not protected by an exemption in the Code which allows for the broadcast of “genuinely held opinion”. TVNZ broadcast a six-part series of Destiny Television in August entitled Homosexuality, Religion and God. TVNZ upheld several viewer complaints about the series, which was described by the New Zealand AIDS Foundation as the “most extreme attack on the integrity of the gay and lesbian community that has ever been broadcast on New Zealand television”. TVNZ responded to initial complaints by apologising to the complainants and advising them that the programmes would not be repeated, but the BSA has ruled this response was insufficient. "The Authority considers that the breach of the broadcasting standards, in each of the six programmes was serious and that TVNZ's action did not demonstrate sufficient appreciation of the gravity of the situation," states the decision. TVNZ has been ordered by the BSA in its ruling to review its policy of appraising programmes prior to broadcast to prevent future breaches.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Thursday, 18th December 2003 - 12:00pm