PM’s Radio Live show referred to Police

Stuff reports:

A RadioLive show hosted by the Prime Minister John Key prior to the election has been referred to the police for breaching the Broadcasting Act.

The Electoral Commission confirmed this morning that it had referred the broadcaster to police. …

NewstalkZB said it had obtained a copy of the report, which found the show violated the act. RadioLive could be fined up to $100,000 for the breach.

The BSA had earlier found the show was not an election programme and would not have breached standards even if it were.

It looks like Radio Live, rather than the PM, may be in the gun in a legal sense. But if the show is found in court to be a breach of the law, it will be politically embarrassing to the PM, no doubt.

I think it is safe to conclude there will not be a repeat show – or at least not during the regulated period anyway.

It will be interesting to see what the Police do. A show with Shane Jones in it was referred to them for investigation in 2008. I can’t recall what the outcome was in that case.