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Stuff
December 23, 2003
Complaints against Edwards not upheld by BSA
NZPA
Complaints from Dunedin author Lynley Hood and Act MP Rodney Hide about the Edwards
at Large television programme have not been upheld by the Broadcasting
Standards Authority.
Hood, campaigning for a royal commission into the Christchurch Civic Creche
case, was interviewed by Brian Edwards on August 16 about her book A City
Possessed: The Christchurch Civic Creche Case.
She claimed Edwards' political affiliations had prejudiced his view of the
sex abuse case against former creche worker Peter Ellis and said he breached
broadcasting standards on balance, impartiality and fairness.
Television New Zealand
said Edwards had "deliberately and quite properly adopted a 'devil's
advocate' approach to the interview".
The BSA rejected Hood's allegations the interview was unbalanced, noting
Edwards had adopted an adversarial approach and had forewarned Hood of his
intention to do so. Hood had been given reasonable opportunity to present her
views.
Mr Hide appeared on Edwards at Large after he questioned a New Zealand on Air decision to
give the show $190,000 when the broadcaster's wife Judy Callingham was on the
NZ On Air board.
He alleged the programme broke balance and impartiality standards. In
response to a complaint from Mr Hide, TVNZ had acknowledged the item was not
impartial and apologised in writing.
Mr Hide said he had been "ambushed" into appearing on the show to
enable Edwards to pursue his personal interests. He accepted TVNZ's apology
initially but, after saying in a news release he was also looking forward to
Edwards' apology, changed his mind when Edwards advised "hell would
freeze over" before that happened.
The BSA said Mr Hide "was not unaware of the issues which were likely to
be raised", and declined to uphold the complaint the item was
unbalanced, or the complaint that action taken by TVNZ was insufficient.
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