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Aramoana gunman David Gray - Source: ONE News -
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TVNZ is to appeal the Broadcasting Standards Authority's decision over expletives used during TV ONE's Sunday programme about the Aramoana massacre.
Sunday ran the story about the 20th anniversary of the massacre last November and included the f-word in an interview with the police officer who shot gunman David Gray.
The BSA said the use of the f-word during the programme breached the standards relating to good taste and decency, and children's interests.
In response to a viewer complaint about the language, TVNZ said Sunday was aimed at adults, and that two warnings about content and language had been given during the programme.
Today TVNZ said the BSA's decision was 'incomprehensible' and that it would appeal to the High Court.
TVNZ said the issue at stake was the right of adult New Zealanders to hear - for the first time - the exact exchange that took place between the Aramoana gunman David Gray and the police officer who then shot him.
TVNZ have also noted that the decision to broadcast the interview unedited was not taken lightly.
"The massacre at Aramoana was a significant event in New Zealand history and it was "important to record and broadcast what [the policeman] recounted without being censored," Megan Richards, from TVNZ's Corporate Affairs, said.
Although the majority of the BSA board found the programme breached standards, chairman Peter Radich, noted that warnings on content and language had been given twice.
"I find it difficult to hold that a programme about the mass murder of men, women and children is within broadcasting standards as they apply to children, but that the use of the word "f***ing" in that programme takes the programme to an unacceptable level," he said.
He considered that "to have bleeped or otherwise obscured the words would have been purposeless, inappropriate and demeaning of the policeman".
"This was good quality television, recording part of our social history which, with its warnings, was able to be broadcast at the time that it was and which was within the bounds of freedom of expression," he said.
TVNZ said they agreed with Radich's opinion, and is disturbed to note that his commonsense approach did not prevail amongst his colleagues.
The broadcaster said it rarely appeals to the High Court on BSA decisions, but in this case it feels it has no option. It said to let the ruling stand would be to damage the right to freedom of expression in reporting on matters of such high public interest and historical significance to New Zealand.
Two other aspects of the complaint, that the item breached the standards relating to law and order and responsible programming, were not upheld by the BSA.
Do you think the story breached Broadcasting standards? Share your opinion below:
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