The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) has fined NZME Radio Ltd $8000 over a stunt that involved hosts lying to the mother of Kiwi-born English cricketer Ben Stokes live.
Jeremy Wells and Matt Heath, hosts of the Hauraki Breakfast Show, broadcast a live conversation with Stokes' mother Deborah Stokes in April, despite assuring her it was off-air.
Ms Stokes complained to the BSA, which has upheld it and issued the radio station's with a fine.
"The broadcast, and particularly the hosts' deceptive conduct, represented a significant breach of broadcasting standards and a lack of understanding of an individual's fundamental right to fair treatment and to privacy," the BSA's ruling says.
"While NZME offered Ms Stokes a substantial remedy following her complaint, it took limited action, which did not adequately rectify the harm caused to Ms Stokes. Furthermore, events subsequent to the broadcast and prior to NZME's response to the complaint, such as the hosts' behaviour, undermined the genuineness of the proposed offer."
The April 4 incident began with Wells and Heath mocking the cricketer's performance in the T20 World Cup final, before Mss Stokes rang in to complain.
Heath twice told Ms Stokes she was off-air, despite the conversation being broadcast, as she said the comments about her son were "absolutely unconscionable" for his friends and family in New Zealand, adding she was "totally brassed off".
"It's not even about the cricket. It's about the personal attack on him. They called him arrogant and then they called him some sort of name. They don't know him! They wouldn't have a bloomin' clue," Ms Stokes told Heath on-air.
When Ms Stokes learned their conversation had been broadcast live she made a complaint.
At the time, NZME released a statement that read: "Putting Ben's mum to air without her knowledge, albeit defending her son, was obviously well over that line. [Heath and Wells have] been suitably reprimanded."
However, just one day after being "suitably reprimanded", the duo published a photo that showed them grinning and holding glasses of wine.
"Feeling really remorseful for what we done - on route to Vegas," read the caption.
Newshub.
