Broadcaster Sean Plunket isn't going down without a fight, as our broadcasting watchdog claims jurisdiction over his online-only company The Platform.
The Broadcasting Standards Authority received a complaint from a member of the public - after the broadcaster described Māori tikanga as 'mumbo jumbo'.
Sean Plunket says the BSA has 'messed this up' - and it's likely this complaint will never see the light of day.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, the Broadcasting Standards Authority is defending its decision to
go after online content. They've responded to a complaint which
was filed about a comment that broadcaster Sean Plunkett made
on as online only show The platform BSA Chief executive
Stacy Wood explains the thinking.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
We've said that we're going to assess online complaints on
a case by case basis, and we have previously said
that things like social media don't seem as clearly within
the purpose of the Act. However, we acknowledge these broadcasters
that simultaneously broadcast on their own channels, terrestrial channels, their
Facebook pages. So yes, good, very good question, and we
(00:34):
look forward to determining those complaints.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
So the question is how do they decide what they're
going to go after.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Yeah, it's applying a pragmatic lens to it. Does it
look like radio? Does it sound like radio?
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Broadcaster Sean Plunket is with us on this. Hello Sean,
get a ever, Nice to talk to you, lovely to
chat to you. Now, did you have any indication at
all before this arrived that you were now under their jurisdiction?
Speaker 3 (00:59):
No, none, what soever.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
In fact, we ran pro most when we started pointing
out that we weren't.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Yes, and when did you start three and a half
years ago? Right?
Speaker 1 (01:10):
And so they'd indicated that they've actually made this decision
all the way back in twenty nineteen. So it's been
what that means, it's been kept a secret from all
of us for about six years, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (01:20):
And they've never levied me. I don't even know what
the broadcasting standards are. They've never sent them to me.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Do you think from that comment about if it looks
like radio and sounds like radio, then it's radio, does
that clarify it at all for you? No?
Speaker 4 (01:37):
And I don't think it clarifies it for anyone else either.
Here that I think the problem is. I think they
are having a crack. I don't quite know why they've
messed it up so fundamentally from the get go. This
complaint will never see the light of day.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Are you of the view that they're going to back down?
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Well? My I think they'll have to. They've got nowhere
to go with this.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
They can't say that I was under their jurisdiction when
I made the comments, because they've had to issue a
judgment saying asserting that they are so clearly I wasn't
so I the complaint falls over and they're kind of
grab for jurisdiction falls over because they're acting outside the law.
(02:27):
Parliament hasn't told them they can do this. In fact,
it specifically said we don't want to address this.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Stick to your lane. They're going outside their lane. That
is illegal.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Do you not see it? Is there not an argument
that they can interpret their legislation as including the Internet?
Speaker 3 (02:45):
No?
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Why not?
Speaker 4 (02:46):
It's not because the legislation was written in nineteen eighty
nine before the Internet.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yeah, but it took It's about transmission being received and
so on like that, you know, and you can see
that that could partially fit the definition, and.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
That was for p people who had to get broadcasting
licenses radio and television stations. I don't need a broadcasting
license and I haven't got one, okay, And they've never
levied me to pay for them the two and a
half million dollars a year they cost.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Now, question question is why they do this.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
Then, because three of their board members were appointed by
Willie Jackson, and it is a back doorway to try
and mold media narratives and suppress freedom of speech in
New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
But hold on a teck. They can't be that dumb, though,
Sean that they thought, yes they can.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Neither, No, whither they can.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
The Wokerrati are that dumb, and they are in such
cognitive dissonance now that they don't have.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
A compliant government.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Stop it.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
I've had dozens of lawyers contact me explaining how dumb
they are.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
No, No, hold on a tack. Are you telling me
that when they did this and they decided they were
going to come after you with an interim judgment that
they actually thought they'd be able to see this through
and you would actually take this and it would be
fine and they could start policing the internet.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Well, I do know that they told the minister what
they were going to do the day before, because heads up,
so they knew they were probably buying a fight.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
I think they thought I would be dreadfully scared and
spend lots of money and crawl up in a ball
and cry, Well, I'm not going.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
To I've just told them basically, you're not the boss
of me. And also, you know it's funny. Stacey Wood
went on with Mike this morning after It's Only Mew.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Yesterday there wouldn't be any interviews and they're not making
any comment. I went back to her today and I said, well,
I presume you're coming on tomorrow. We should talk to
Mike a broadcaster. No no, no, no, no, we're not
going to talk to you.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
We're in dispute with you. And I said, no, you're not.
I've got nothing to do with you.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Oh lord, Okay, now see the Lord, they really haven't
thought this through because what this now brings us to
if you think about this a little bit more deeply,
you start to actually, after this little stunt that they've pulled,
you start to question whether they should even exist at all,
giving you start to realize how little control they have
over what we're consuming content wise. Have you not reached
this conclusion?
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (05:17):
I know absolutely, And I think they should be disbanded.
And I don't think you need. I don't think z
B needs to have them basically, and what they are
basically they use the threat of the process, the convoluted
process of a BSA complaint. They use that threat to
(05:40):
kind of create an atmosphere of fear where you're more
circumspect about exercising your freedom of speech as a broadcaster
and your callers a more circumspect about exercising their freedom
of speech because God, just the trouble and the bureaucracy
of going through what they create is, you know, damages people.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Yeah, that's a fair point, Sewan, It's good to talk
to you. Thanks for coming on. Good luck with it broadcasters.
Sean Plunketter's with the platform.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen live to
news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Now, the Broadcasting Standards Authority is defending its decision to
go after online content. They've responded to a complaint which
was filed about a comment that broadcaster Sean Plunkett made
on as online only show The platform BSA Chief executive
Stacy Wood explains the thinking.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
We've said that we're going to assess online complaints on
a case by case basis, and we have previously said
that things like social media don't seem as clearly within
the purpose of the Act. However, we acknowledge these broadcasters
that simultaneously broadcast on their own channels, terrestrial channels, their
Facebook pages. So yes, good, very good question, and we
(00:34):
look forward to determining those complaints.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
So the question is how do they decide what they're
going to go after.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Yeah, it's applying a pragmatic lens to it. Does it
look like radio? Does it sound like radio?
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Broadcaster Sean Plunket is with us on this. Hello Sean,
get a ever, Nice to talk to you, lovely to
chat to you. Now, did you have any indication at
all before this arrived that you were now under their jurisdiction?
Speaker 3 (00:59):
No, none, what soever.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
In fact, we ran pro most when we started pointing
out that we weren't.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Yes, and when did you start three and a half
years ago? Right?
Speaker 1 (01:10):
And so they'd indicated that they've actually made this decision
all the way back in twenty nineteen. So it's been
what that means, it's been kept a secret from all
of us for about six years, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (01:20):
And they've never levied me. I don't even know what
the broadcasting standards are. They've never sent them to me.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Do you think from that comment about if it looks
like radio and sounds like radio, then it's radio, does
that clarify it at all for you? No?
Speaker 4 (01:37):
And I don't think it clarifies it for anyone else either.
Here that I think the problem is. I think they
are having a crack. I don't quite know why they've
messed it up so fundamentally from the get go. This
complaint will never see the light of day.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Are you of the view that they're going to back down?
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Well? My I think they'll have to. They've got nowhere
to go with this.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
They can't say that I was under their jurisdiction when
I made the comments, because they've had to issue a
judgment saying asserting that they are so clearly I wasn't
so I the complaint falls over and they're kind of
grab for jurisdiction falls over because they're acting outside the law.
(02:27):
Parliament hasn't told them they can do this. In fact,
it specifically said we don't want to address this.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Stick to your lane. They're going outside their lane. That
is illegal.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Do you not see it? Is there not an argument
that they can interpret their legislation as including the Internet?
Speaker 3 (02:45):
No?
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Why not?
Speaker 4 (02:46):
It's not because the legislation was written in nineteen eighty
nine before the Internet.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yeah, but it took It's about transmission being received and
so on like that, you know, and you can see
that that could partially fit the definition, and.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
That was for p people who had to get broadcasting
licenses radio and television stations. I don't need a broadcasting
license and I haven't got one, okay, And they've never
levied me to pay for them the two and a
half million dollars a year they cost.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Now, question question is why they do this.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
Then, because three of their board members were appointed by
Willie Jackson, and it is a back doorway to try
and mold media narratives and suppress freedom of speech in
New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
But hold on a teck. They can't be that dumb, though,
Sean that they thought, yes they can.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Neither, No, whither they can.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
The Wokerrati are that dumb, and they are in such
cognitive dissonance now that they don't have.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
A compliant government.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Stop it.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
I've had dozens of lawyers contact me explaining how dumb
they are.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
No, No, hold on a tack. Are you telling me
that when they did this and they decided they were
going to come after you with an interim judgment that
they actually thought they'd be able to see this through
and you would actually take this and it would be
fine and they could start policing the internet.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Well, I do know that they told the minister what
they were going to do the day before, because heads up,
so they knew they were probably buying a fight.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
I think they thought I would be dreadfully scared and
spend lots of money and crawl up in a ball
and cry, Well, I'm not going.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
To I've just told them basically, you're not the boss
of me. And also, you know it's funny. Stacey Wood
went on with Mike this morning after It's Only Mew.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Yesterday there wouldn't be any interviews and they're not making
any comment. I went back to her today and I said, well,
I presume you're coming on tomorrow. We should talk to
Mike a broadcaster. No no, no, no, no, we're not
going to talk to you.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
We're in dispute with you. And I said, no, you're not.
I've got nothing to do with you.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Oh lord, Okay, now see the Lord, they really haven't
thought this through because what this now brings us to
if you think about this a little bit more deeply,
you start to actually, after this little stunt that they've pulled,
you start to question whether they should even exist at all,
giving you start to realize how little control they have
over what we're consuming content wise. Have you not reached
this conclusion?
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (05:17):
I know absolutely, And I think they should be disbanded.
And I don't think you need. I don't think z
B needs to have them basically, and what they are
basically they use the threat of the process, the convoluted
process of a BSA complaint. They use that threat to
(05:40):
kind of create an atmosphere of fear where you're more
circumspect about exercising your freedom of speech as a broadcaster
and your callers a more circumspect about exercising their freedom
of speech because God, just the trouble and the bureaucracy
of going through what they create is, you know, damages people.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Yeah, that's a fair point, Sewan, It's good to talk
to you. Thanks for coming on. Good luck with it broadcasters.
Sean Plunketter's with the platform.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen live to
news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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