The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA; mi, Te Mana Whanonga Kaipāho) is a
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
Crown entity
A Crown entity (from the Commonwealth term ''Crown'') is an organisation that forms part of New Zealand's state sector established under the Crown Entities Act 2004, a unique umbrella governance and accountability statute. The Crown Entities Act i ...
created by the
Broadcasting Act 1989
The Broadcasting Act 1989 creates a system of broadcasting standards and the Broadcasting Commission to fund public broadcasting and New Zealand independent producers.
It established the Broadcasting Standards Authority which oversees the broa ...
to develop and uphold standards of broadcasting for radio, free-to-air and
pay television
Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to Subscription business model, subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichan ...
.
The main functions of the BSA are to develop and maintain codified broadcasting standards and to operate a complaints procedure.
The BSA is made up of a board appointed for a fixed term by the
Governor-General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
on the advice of the
Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media
__NOTOC__
The Minister of Broadcasting and Media is a minister in the government of New Zealand with responsibility for the government's broadcasting and media policies, including the diversity and accessibility of broadcast content, broadcas ...
, meaning that practically the Minister of Broadcasting (and
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
) appoint the board. The chair is always a
barrister
A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...
. One member is appointed after consultation with broadcasters and one after consultation with public interest groups.
Complaints regarding breaches of broadcasting standards can only be brought to the BSA after first being raised with the broadcaster.
In March 2013, the Law Commission proposed moving complaints about news and current affairs out of the jurisdiction of the BSA, the Press Council, and the Online Media Standards Authority, placing them under a proposed new body, the
News Media Standards Authority
News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different media: word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting, electronic communication, or through the testimony of observers and witnesses to events. New ...
.
Current members
* Paula Rose
* Leigh Pearson
* Susie Staley (Acting Chair)
References
External links
BSA Website
{{Authority control
New Zealand independent crown entities
Mass media in New Zealand
Mass media complaints authorities
Consumer organisations in New Zealand
Broadcasting authorities
Regulation in New Zealand