Sour grapes thrown out

Labour's complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority over the John Key Hour has been thrown out; RadioLive reports:

The Broadcasting Standards Authority has cleared RadioLIVE of any wrongdoing in having Prime Minister John Key host his own show.

A complaint laid by the Labour Party over the hour-long broadcast, The Prime Minister's Hour, was not upheld because it did not fit the definition of an 'election programme', nor did it breach any standards.

The show was broadcast on RadioLIVE on September 30, 2011. Broadcasting election programmes within the election period is not permitted under section 70 of the Broadcasting Act.

Labour had argued that despite Mr Key and RadioLIVE's promise election issues would not be discussed, the nature of the show and its proximity to an election effectively made it an advertisement for the Government.

The BSA disagreed, saying that although it could "see that some political advantage will accrue to the Prime Minister and the party to which he belongs from exposure of this kind… it it not for us to say whether this should or should not be permitted.

"We think it goes too far to say that when somebody makes it clear they will not discuss what can broadly be called political issues, this statement is a political statement."

The BSA also says in Mr Key did not "actively encourage, persuade, advocate or oppose a political outcome".

Doubtless Phil Goff's press secretary Francesca Mold will be on the phone to RadioLive as we speak again endeavouring to get a similar hour for the Leader of the Opposition. She will have a stronger case now after Winston Peters spent and hour and a half with Willie Jackson and John Tamihere earlier in the week, where they talked about nothing but political issues, and where Peters did little else but encourage those who called in and those who were listening to party vote for NZ First. Peters most certainly did "actively encourage, persuade, advocate or oppose a political outcome"!

We wonder if the Labour Party plans to complain to the Broadcasting Standards Authority over the Peters talkback session. And we wonder if RadioLive will reconsider now as to whether giving Phil Goff an hour of radio would be a good commercial proposition.