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Australian Government - Australian Communications and Media Authority

Television operations – VIC commercial TV investigations

Most broadcasting investigation reports are published on this website. From the April - June 2011 quarter, report summaries (including the findings) are published under the Quarterly broadcasting investigations summary section of the ACMA's website (prior to the April - June 2011 quarter, summaries can be found in old copies of the ACMA's newsletter ACMAsphere) and in the ACMA Annual Report.

Prior to August 2008, only breach reports were published in full. Summaries of non-breach reports prior to August 2008 can be found in ACMAsphere and in ACMA Annual Reports.

Call sign
Title/program or topic (PDF download) Outcome Date of website publication
ADS / ATV / NEW / TEN / TVQ

1557, 1558, 1559

Big Brother Uncut

Breach – Material exceeded MA classification category 5 Oct 2005
AMV (7Mate)

2695 (.docx 783 kb)

Blokesworld

No Breach – Dislike, contempt or ridicule; Classification of material

10 Apr 2013
AMV (Prime)

2498 (.doc)

The Suspects: True Austalian Killers

No Breach – Simulation of news or events 19 Jan 2011
ATV (Eleven)

2989 (.docx 778 kb)

Snog Marry Avoid? promotion

No Breach – Classification of material 4 Apr 2013
ATV (Ch 11 Melbourne)

2925 (.doc 715 kb)

Couch Time

No Breach – Dislike, contempt or ridicule 28 Mar 2013
ATV 10

2873 (.doc 838 kb)

The Project

No Breach – Fair representation of viewpoints; Fairness and impartiality in news

8 Nov 2012
ATV 10

2868 (.docx 822 kb)

The Project

No Breach – Dislike, contempt or ridicule

19 Oct 2012
ATV 10

2782 (.doc 835 kb)

It's a Knockout

No Breach – Presentation of broadcast material; Promotion of products or services in programs directed to children; Complaints handling

22 Jun 2012
ATV 10 (ONE)

2620 (.doc)

Sons of Anarchy program promotion

No Breach – Restrictions in G or PG programs (Program Promotions) 27 Jul 2011
ATV 10

2434 (.doc 1 mb)

Ten News at Five

Breach – Factual accuracy; Fairness

No Breach – Fair representation of viewpoints; Portray in a negative light; Provoke or perpetuate intense dislike or serious contempt

21 Sept 2011
ATV 10

2581 (.doc 831 kb)

Just for Laughs: Montreal International Comedy Festival

No Breach – Dislike, contempt or ridicule

10 Jun 2011
ATV 10

2482 (.doc)

Ten News at Five

No Breach – Factual accuracy; Correction of significant errors; Fairness and impartiality 18 Feb 2011
ATV 10

2343

Good News Week

No Breach – Dislike, contempt or ridicule 19 Mar 2010
ATV 10

2349

Promotion for Jaws 2

No Breach – Material was not proscribed, did not include socially offensive or discriminatory language and complied with G classification time zone

9 Mar 2010
ATV 10

1922 and 1953 (1.3 mb)

Ten News at Five

Breach – Factual accuracy; Present news fairly and impartially

No Breach – Proscribed material

30 Nov 2009
ATV 10

2256

Bad News Bears

Breach – Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice

  • Clause 7.10 (Time Limits on Responses to Code Complaints)
27 Nov 2009

ATV 10

2203

Bad News Bears

Breach – Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice:

  • Clause 2.3.1 (Classification of Films);
  • PG (Parental Guidance Classification of Appendix 5 (Guidelines for the Classification of Films and Computer Games 2003)
27 Nov 2009

ATV 10

2130

TEN News at Five

Breach – Take all reasonable steps to ensure that accident victims are not identified before their immediate family have been notified by the authorities; Complaints handling

18 Aug 2009
ATV 10

2093

Big Brother Big Mouth promotion

Breach – Promotion displayed incorrect classification symbol and was broadcast at a time when promotions for MA classified programs are not permitted

17 Mar 2009
ATV 10

2097

Animalia promotion

Breach – Promotion displayed incorrect classification symbol

17 Mar 2009
ATV 10

2094/2095

Don’t Forget The Lyrics promotion

Breach – Promotions displayed incorrect classification symbol

17 Mar 2009
ATV 10

2098

Friends promotion

Breach – Promotions displayed incorrect classification symbol

17 Mar 2009
ATV 10

2120

Promotion for Jamie's Ministry of Food

No Breach – Material was not proscribed and complied with G classification time zone

27 Feb 2009
ATV 10

2102

Rove Live

No Breach – Subliminal messages 19 Dec 2008

ATV / ADS / TEN / TVQ

1958, 1959, 1960 and 1961 (2.44 mb)

2007 ARIA Music Awards (28 Oct 2007)

Breach – Subliminal messages

8 Oct 2008
ATV 10

1991

Kid Nation

Breach – Complaint handling 28 Aug 2008
ATV 10

1888

Advertisement for Nestle Milo Cereal

Breach – Failed to comply with CTS 13(1) and CTS 20(2) 15 Jul 2008
ATV 10

1937

Election advertisement

Breach – Broadcasting an election advertisement during the 'relevant' period 11 Jun 2008
ATV 10

1834

Kenneth Copeland - Believers Voice of Victory

Breach – Complaint handling

Did not provide substantive response; and did not advise complainant to refer matter to ACMA if unsatisfied

25 Sept 2007
ATV 10

1719

The Supernatural

Breach – Program promotion in PG 16 Nov 2006
ATV 10

1379

The Last Samurai and Cold Mountain

Breach – Commercials for cinema films Promotion for MA programs 8 Oct 2004
ATV 10

1363

Sports Tonight

Breach – Failure to exercise care in selecting material for G time 8 Jul 2004
ATV 10  

1298

In the Box

Breach – Failed to comply with CTS 10(c) 4 Dec 2003
ATV 10

1256

Law & Order and Beauty & the Beast

Breach – PG zone - Beauty & the Beast display of classification symbols - Law & Order 23 May 2003
ATV 10

1145

Press advertising

Breach – Ensure clearly visible classification symbols 1 Aug 2002
ATV 10

953

Advertisement

Breach – Referral of complaints re advertisements to the Advertising Standards Bureau 9 Mar 2001
ATV 10

854

Good News Week

Breach – Complaint handling 18 Oct 2000
BCV

2221 (1.1 mb)

Bad News Bears

Breach – Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice:

  • Clause 2.3.1 (Classification of Films);
  • PG (Parental Guidance Classification of Appendix 5 (Guidelines for the Classification of Films and Computer Games 2003)
27 Nov 2009
BCV / GLV

1073

Charmed

Breach – M program promotions in G 27 Mar 2002
GLV / TEN 10

2643 (.doc 942 kb)

Can of Worms program promotion

No Breach – Program promotions - Restrictions in PG programs in certain time periods

13 Oct 2011
GLV

2479 (.doc)

Good News Week

No Breach – Dislike, contempt or ridicule 21 Dec 2010
GO! (GTV)

2380

Dante's Cove

Breach – AV15+ classification guidelines 26 Oct 2010
GO! Multi channel (GTV)

2322

Seinfield; Curb your Enthusiasm and Weeds

No Breach – Captioning requirements

4 Mar 2010
GTV 9

2940 (.doc 867 kb)

60 Minutes

No Breach – Exercise care in selection of material; Factual accuracy; Correction of significant errors; Complaint handling 16 May 2013
GTV 9

2876 (.doc 834 kb)

The Block

No Breach – Present participants in a highly demeaning or highly exploitative manner

6 Dec 2012
GTV 9

2819 (.docx 1.2 mb)

Celebrity Apprentice Australia

No Breach – Distinction between paid material and other program material

10 Aug 2012
GTV 9

2816 (.docx 771 kb)

The Footy Show

No Breach – Classification of M material

3 Jul 2012
GTV 9

2719 (.docx 811 kb)

A Current Affair

Breach – Privacy; Privacy of a child; Unfair identification

No Breach – Accuracy

21 Jun 2012
GTV 9

2747 (.docx 1.2 mb)

The Celebrity Apprentice Australia

Breach – Effort to resolve complaint

No Breach – Time limits on non-program matter

7 Jun 2012
GTV 9

2786 (.docx 1.2 mb)

Channel Nine News

Breach – Respond to referred complaint

No Breach – Accuracy, fair representation of viewpoint

7 Jun 2012
GTV 9

2689 (.docx 799 kb)

Two and a Half Men (27 Sept 2011)

Breach - Captioning

11 May 2012
GTV 9

2778 (.docx 781 kb)

2 Broke Girls

No Breach – Classification of material (PG)

30 Apr 2012
GTV 9

2720 (.docx 970 kb)

Channel Nine News

No Breach – Factual accuracy 16 Feb 2012
GTV 9

2701 (.docx 828 kb)

A Current Affair

No Breach – Accuracy; Gratuitous emphasis on ethnic origin and race; Dislike, contempt or ridicule

8 Feb 2012
GTV 9

2558 (.doc)

Two and a Half Men

Breach – Captioning 5 Sept 2011
GTV 9

2526 (.doc)

Election advertisement

Breach – Broadcasting an election advertisement during the ‘relevant period’

9 Mar 2011
GTV 9

2468 (.doc)

Channel Nine News

Breach of clause 4.3.1 [factual accuracy]

No Breach of clause 4.3.11 [correction of significant errors of fact]

7 Feb 2011
GTV 9

2416 (.doc)

A Current Affair

Breach – Advice to telephone complaint

No Breach – Accuracy; written response within 30 days

29 Oct 2010
GTV 9

2475 (.doc)

Footy Classified

No Breach – Dislike, contempt or ridicule 18 Oct 2010
GTV 9

2341

The AFL Footy Show

GTV Nine has responded to the ACMA findings

Breach – Clause 1.8.6 of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice 2004

No Breach – Clause 7.9 of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice 2004

6 Sept 2010
GTV 9

2333

Hey Hey It's Saturday

No Breach – Dislike, contempt or ridicule; Offend cultural sensitivities

27 May 2010
GTV 9

2354

Underbelly: The Tale of Two Cities - The Reckoning - Episodes 10 and 11

Breach – Complaint handling 19 May 2010
GTV 9

2284

Weekend Today

Breach – Response within 30 working days

No breach – Dislike, contempt or ridicule; Factual accuracy; Gratuitous emphasis; Fairness and impartiality

18 Mar 2010
GTV 9

1952 (1.1 mb)

National Nine News

Breach – Factual accuracy; Present news fairly and impartially

No Breach – Proscribed material

30 Nov 2009
GTV 9

2250

Amount of non-programme matter

No Breach of clause 5.6 & 5.7 [hourly limits on the broadcast of non-program subject matter]

No Breach of clause 7.9 & 7.10 [complaints handling]

23 Oct 2009
GTV 9

2162

A Current Affair

Breach – Clause 4.3.1 of the Commercial Television Code of Practice 2004

21 Sept 2009
GTV 9

2024

The AFL Footy Show (3 Apr & 1 May 2008)

Breach – Clauses 1.8.6 and 7.9 of the Free TV Code

8 May 2009
GTV 9

1912

A Current Affair (23 Jul 2007)

Breach – Clause 4.3.1 [accurate presentation of factual material] of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice 2004 (the Code)

Clause 4.3.11 [correction of error of fact] of the Code

24 Mar 2009
GTV 9

1892

A Current Affair

Breach – Clause 4.3.1 of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice 2004 12 Jun 2008
GTV 9

1814

A Current Affair

Breach – Factual accuracy, Fair representation of viewpoints 3 Sept 2007
GTV 9

1805, 1806, 1807

Bert's Family Feud

Breach – Time limits on responses to code complaints 3 Sept 2007
GTV 9

1803

Outrageous Fortune

Breach – Material exceeded M classification category 28 Aug 2007
GTV 9

1521

Nightline

Breach – Complaint handling 18 Jul 2005
GTV 9

1482

The Today Show

Breach – Failure to present factual material accurately 17 May 2005
GTV 9

1408

Final Analysis

Breach – Consumer advice – principal classifiable elements 16 Sept 2004
GTV 9

1262

National Nine News and Nightline

Breach – Present news fairly and impartially 8 Sept 2003
GTV 9

1184

A Current Affair

Breach – Care with news & current affairs in G 30 Oct 2002
GTV 9

1085

A Current Affair

Breach – Complaint handling 25 Jun 2002
GTV 9

1127

A Current Affair

Breach – Having regard to the likely audience. Exercise care in the selection and broadcast of all material Unfairly identified a single person 19 Jul 2002
GTV 9

885

A Current Affair

Breach – Accurate and fair representation of viewpoints. Correction of significant errors. Unfair identification of a single person to represent a group 26 Oct 2001
GTV 9

1021

Ray Martin with Michael Crawford

Breach – Complaint handling 27 Sept 2001
GTV 9

890

Christopher Columbus - The Discovery

Breach – Complaint handling 5 Dec 2000
GTV 9

805

60 Minutes

Breach – Inaccuracy in a promotion; Complaint handling

4 Sept 2000
GTV 9

736

News

Breach – Complaint handling 12 Apr 2000
GTV 9

750

Burke's Backyard

Breach – Promotion too violent for G timeslot 21 Jan 2000
GTV 9

732

A Current Affair

Breach – Complaint handling 25 Nov 1999
GTV / WIN

642

Midday Show

Breach – Advertisement for medicine 31 Aug 2000
HSV (7Mate)

2941 (.docx 785 kb)

World's Wildest Police Videos

No Breach – Classification of material

12 Mar 2013
HSV (7TWO)

2886 (.docx 785 kb)

Globe Trekker

No Breach – Classification of material (PG)

12 Nov 2012
HSV 7

2987 (.doc 815 kb)

Seven News

No Breach – Dislike, contempt or ridicule 14 May 2013
HSV 7

2946 (.doc 820 kb)

Seven News

No Breach – Appropriate regard 14 May 2013
HSV 7

2930 (.doc 871 kb)

Seven News

No Breach – Dislike, contempt or ridicule; Public panic; Fairness and impartiality

7 Mar 2013
HSV 7

2919 (.doc 832 kb)

Weekend Sunrise

No Breach – Accuracy; Correction of errors

7 Mar 2013
HSV 7

2880 (.doc 819 kb)

Channel Sevel News (promotion)

No Breach – Factual accuracy

19 Dec 2012
HSV 7

2849 (.doc 850 kb)

Channel Seven News

No Breach – Distinguish paid material from other program material; Factual accuracy; Impartiality and fairness

8 Nov 2012
HSV 7

2742 (.docx 826 kb)

Today Tonight

Breach of clause 4.3.1

No Breach of clauses 4.3.1; 4.3.2; and 4.3.10

20 Sept 2012

HSV / ATN / BTQ /SAS / STQ / TVW

2758 (.docx 803 kb)

Good Christian Bitches (program promotion)

Breach – Restrictions in PG programs in certain time periods

No Breach – Provoke or perpetuate intense dislike, serious contempt or severe ridicule; Restrictions in G or PG programs at 8:30pm

8 Jun 2012

HSV 7

2769 (.docx 783 kb)

Australia's Got Amazing Talent

No Breach – Classification of material (PG language); Complaints handling

5 Apr 2012
HSV 7

2703 (.doc 2.8 mb)

Today Tonight

No Breach – Dislike, contempt or ridicule; Factual accuracy; Public panic; Gratuitous emphasis

4 Apr 2012
HSV 7

2433 (.doc 1 mb)

Channel Seven News

Breach – Factual accuracy; Fairness

No Breach – Factual accuracy and fair representation of viewpoints; Portray in a negative light; Provoke or perpetuate intense dislike or serious contempt

21 Sept 2011

HSV / ATN / BTQ / SAS / TVW

2544 to 2548

McDonald’s advertisement/ Channel 7 station identifier

Breach – Broadcast an advertisement during a P period; Advertisement was not clearly distinguishable as such to a child viewer Material contained promotion of commercial products and services by proprietary characters

14 Sept 2011
HSV 7

2490 (.doc)

The Suspects: True Australian Killers

No Breach – Simulation of news or events 19 Jan 2011
HSV 7

2427

Personal Velocity

Breach – Complaint handling 30 Jul 2010
HSV 7

2103 and 2117

Today Tonight

No Breach – Factual accuracy; Provide substantive response; Use service in commission of offence 7 Apr 2010
HSV 7

1943 (821 kb)

Channel Seven News

Breach – Factual accuracy

No Breach – Present news fairly and impartially; Proscribed material

30 Nov 2009
HSV 7

2172

AFL - program promotion

No Breach – Transmitting messages below the threshold of normal awareness

4 Jun 2009
HSV 7

2045

Today Tonight

No Breach – Factual accuracy; Correct significant errors; or Promotions-factual accuracy 10 Dec 2008
HSV 7

2031 

Pepper Dennis

No Breach – Material complied with PG classification
26 Nov 2008
HSV 7

1948

According to Jim

Breach – Material exceeded PG classification 4 Aug 2008
HSV 7

1872

Seven News

Breach – Complaints handling 23 May 2008
HSV 7

1754

The Fairies

Breach – Failed to comply with CTS 13(2) and CTS 22(2) 28 Mar 2008
HSV 7

1817

Home and Away

Breach – Material exceeded G classification category

4 Oct 2007

HSV 7

1844 and 1845

Home and Away

Breach – Material exceeded G classification category

4 Oct 2007

HSV 7

1801

Disorderly Conduct Caught on Tape

Breach – Violence in PG 14 Jun 2007
HSV 7

1673  

Melbourne Exhibition Centre sale advertisement

Breach – Complaint handling 1 Sept 2006
HSV 7

1426

24 promotion

Breach – Broadcasting material with more than a very low sense of threat or menace, including weapons and physical and psychological violence against people 6 Sept 2005
HSV 7

1470

Home and Away

Breach – Violence in PG 9 May 2005
HSV 7

1463

Athens Olympics 2004

Breach – Complaint handling 6 Dec 2004
HSV 7

1425

Firestorm

Breach – Unsuitable for G – more than very low sense of threat or menace 15 Oct 2004
HSV 7

1378

The Matrix – promotion

Breach – M material in PG 5 Aug 2004
HSV 7  

1358

Today Tonight – 4WD Crash Testing

Breach – Complaint handling 17 Jun 2004
HSV 7

1245

Today Tonight

Breach – Privacy 23 May 2003
HSV 7

689

Ally McBeal

Breach – Unsuitable for G - language 9 Sept 1999
HSV 7

627

Today Tonight

Breach – Complaint handling 9 Apr 1999
HSV 7

547

FX: The Series

Breach – Violence in PG 5 Jun 1998
STW

1507

News and election updates

Breach – Failure to provide captioning service 7 Nov 2005
STW

815

El Condor

Breach – Failure to provide adequate warning 30 Nov 2000
STW

828

Today on Saturday

Breach – Care in selection of material broadcast. Complaint handling 8 Sept 2000
VTV

2610 (.docx 777 kb)

Mogambo

No Breach – Classification of films 2 Aug 2011
VTV / WIN

2129

WIN News

Breach – Accurate presentation of factual material 21 Jul 2009
VTV 9

2022

Kitchen Nightmares - Rococo

Breach – Coarse language exceeded M classification  14 Oct 2008
VTV

1067

Local News

Breach – Provide warnings for distressing material 16 Nov 2001
VTV

781

Rove

Breach – Complaint handling 27 Apr 2000
 

Last update: 16 May 2013 11:21