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Broadcaster Scotty Stevenson was found to not have promoted socially irresponsible drinking when he joked about cricket fans “casually deleting a bunch of tins” by a broadcasting watchdog.
The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) did not uphold a complaint made against TVNZ over commentary aired during the Black Caps test matchagainst the West Indies on December 22 last year.
Cameras focused on members of a local cricket club celebrating a premiership win on the bank at Bay Oval during the broadcast, with beer cans seen surrounding some of the fans while others held them up.
Stevenson said he was “all for” the spectators “casually deleting a bunch of tins” and followed this with a jokey discussion about whether they should have been at work.
He then described the fans’ actions as a “proletarian uprising masked as a cricket celebration”.
Joseph Brownlee Smith, who made the complaint, argued the broadcast promoted irresponsible drinking and brought the cricket club into disrepute.
Broadcaster Scotty Stevenson (left) was found to not have promoted socially irresponsible drinking during a Black Caps test in December. Photo / Photosport
He also said New Zealand is impacted by a binge-drinking culture and state broadcaster TVNZ had a responsibility to not endorse this behaviour, particularly to younger viewers.
The BSA found the televised segment did amount to the “advocacy of alcohol consumption”, but it was considered socially responsible in the context of a live sports broadcast.
It also said the broadcast was aimed mainly at an adult audience, with viewers aged from 5 to 17 making up less than 2% of the audience according to ratings data.
“We do not consider their comments, which were light-hearted and appeared intended as humorous, amounted to genuine advocacy of excessive alcohol consumption,” the BSA said in their decision.
The watchdog said co-commentator Mark Richardson also made a counterpoint to Stevenson’s comments by disapproving of “all-nighters” and cheering a team member who had gone to work instead of attending the match.
Other complaints around privacy and balance were rejected, with the BSA finding the team’s activities did not constitute a “controversial issue of public importance” and no private information was disclosed about the cricketer mentioned during the broadcast.
