MEDIA RELEASE

MONDAY, JUNE 9, 2014

Māori Television Welcomes BSA Rulings

Māori Television welcomes the Broadcasting Standards Authority rulings on two Native Affairs stories which aired last year.

General Manager for News and Current Affairs, Julian Wilcox, says: “We are pleased to hear that the Authority declined to uphold the BSA complaints against Native Affairs’ Question of Trust and Bones of Contention stories, and has ruled that neither story breached standards of accuracy, fairness and controversial issues.”

Native Affairs, A Question of Trust
broadcast 9 Sept 2013 - Complaint not upheld

“The special investigative report on Native Affairs, titled “A Question of Trust”, examined concerns from Kohanga Reo whānau members about the personal loans made to Board and Trust staff, as well as governance issues such as life term memberships for board members,” says Māori Television’s General Manager for News and Current Affairs.

“We support the BSA’s view that public organisations funded by the public, for the purpose of serving the public, have to be subject to public scrutiny,” says Mr Wilcox.

“Our news and current affairs team will continue to ensure that Māori are entitled to expect the same level of scrutiny and accountability from their organisation,” he says.

“The BSA decisions confirm that Native Affairs followed a fair, robust and thorough process in this investigation."

Native Affairs, Bones of Contention
broadcast 19 Aug 2013 – Complaint not upheld

Māori Television’s General Manager News and Current Affairs Julian Wilcox: “Bones of Contention is an important story that deals with the discovery of koiwi, ancient human remains, at the development site of the Masonic Tavern on Auckland's Devonport.”

“We are heartened to hear the Authority’s ruling, that Native Affairs Bones of Contention story did not breach standards of accuracy, fairness and controversial issues on information about the development, the discovery of koiwi or ancient human remains and the content of the panel discussion.”

“We are pleased that the Authority acknowledged that it is the responsibility of a current affairs programme such as Native Affairs to highlight these types of issues to our viewing audience, and in particular Māori, so we are all are fully engaged in issues of environmental, historical, and cultural importance in the context of future development throughout all parts of New Zealand," says Mr Wilcox.

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