An Electoral Commission ruling due out today has found the Radio Live show hosted by John Key last September was an election programme and therefore a prohibited broadcast.
Newstalk ZB's obtained a copy of the commission's decision over a Labour Party complaint about a show the Prime Minister conducted on Radio Live during last year's election campaign period.
The commission's found the broadcast was an election programme and a breach of the Broadcasting Act.
Newstalk ZB understands both Labour and National have been given advance copies of the decision, but are bound by a confidentiality agreement not to talk about it ahead of an official release at five this evening.
Mr Key hosted the hour-long show on September 30. He declared it an "election-free zone" before he interviewed guests including Sir Peter Jackson, Richie McCaw and Sir Richard Branson.
Radio Live said at the time the show went to air it had sought advice from the Electoral Commission about the programme.
The commission had warned RadioLive that it had to act with extreme care because of the closeness of the election and because strict pre-election broadcasting rules had come into effect.
A complaint by the Labour Party to the Broadcasting Standards Authority was not upheld.
It found the show did not fit the definition of an election programme, and even if it had, would not have breached broadcasting standards.
RadioLive has little to fear however, at least in the short term. Complaints to the police for alleged Electoral Act breaches stretching back to the middle of last year are still being investigated, and it is highly unlikely that there will be any resolution of this one in the immediate future.
Of course, that won't stop the Left getting itself in a lather, even though the list of cases currently under consideration by the Police contains far more from their side of the divide. In fact, it's already begun. In a comment on The Standard's post mickysavage has suggested that the police consider charging Key as a party to the offence. We've suggested that he should be careful what he wishes for, given the long list of Labour alleged breaches under consideration!
But it's interesting too that Newstalk ZB has broken the story this morning when it's embargoed until 5pm this afternoon. Is it ratings season?
3 comments:
Makes Key look sneaky.
Hey! Snee-Key!
Geddit!?
Mickey Savage is an idiot. Key has no legal liability at all. National might have a problem if the value of the program exceeds their election budget, which is likely.
Of course, it remains to be sen whether the police think there is a case, regardless of the electoral commissions rather myopic finding. The commission gets to comfortably mull over it in a calm, almost academic setting over cakes and coffee. The police will have to prove the case under the more exacting conditions of a court. With the broadcasting Standards Authority (more coffee and cake) saying that there is noing to it, I suspect the case will be far from clear-cut.
SneeKey!
I get it
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