TVNZ's response to Paul Henry complaints slow but sufficient

Former Breakfast host Paul Henry. Photo / Greg Bowker

TVNZ's response to former Breakfast host Paul Henry's controversial comments about New Zealand's Governor General was slow but sufficient, the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) has found.

However, the BSA also said Henry's apology to Sir Anand Satyanand "lacked substance and sincerity".

Henry got into hot water after he asked Prime Minister John Key whether New Zealand-born Sir Anand, whose five-year term ends in August, was a New Zealander.

"Are you going to choose a New Zealander who looks and sounds like a New Zealander this time?" he asked.

TVNZ received hundreds of complaints about the broadcast and it agreed Henry's comments breached the broadcasting standards relating to good taste and decency, fairness, and discrimination and denigration.

The broadcaster also apologised to the complainants for the breaches and said it had reviewed its editorial policies and presenter code of conduct.

It suspended Henry for two weeks without pay, publicly denounced the comments and apologised to viewers.

Henry personally apologised to Sir Anand in a media statement on the day of the broadcast and made another apology on Breakfast the next day.

However, complainants considered TVNZ's response insufficient and referred their complaints to the BSA.

One complainant said Henry had frequently engaged in such behaviour on Breakfast and TVNZ had "congratulated and rewarded" his behaviour.

The BSA said it agreed with TVNZ's decision to uphold the complaints and it considered Henry's comments to be a serious breach of broadcasting standards.

The authority said its task was to determine whether the broadcaster had acted sufficiently and appropriately.

It found TVNZ had failed to take immediate action, after it received a significant number of complaints, although Henry did apologise to the Governor General on the day of the broadcast.

The broadcaster's failure to respond immediately was "significantly compounded" by comments made by a TVNZ spokeswoman, Andi Brotherston, the BSA said.

Brotherston had said Henry was prepared to say the things "we quietly think but are scared to say out loud".

It was not until the following day that TVNZ realised the seriousness of the situation and began to take remedial action, the authority said.

"We consider that the broadcaster's failure to act on the day of the broadcast was unacceptable and in our view it should have acted immediately," the BSA said.

The BSA said Henry's apology on Breakfast lacked substance and sincerity, and was inadequate in the circumstances.

However, TVNZ's actions the next day, including suspending Henry without pay and publicly denouncing his comments, were delayed but comprehensive, it said.

"In our view, this was a reasonable response pending TVNZ's determination of a breach of broadcasting standards.

"While TVNZ could have acted sooner, we are satisfied that on this occasion the action taken was sufficient."

The BSA said it was still finalising a decision about Henry's comments about Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's name.

- NZPA