2 Dec 2010

Samoa says complaints lodged against NZ's TV3

4:11 pm on 2 December 2010

Two formal broadcasting complaints are being lodged by the Samoan government about reports by New Zealand's TV3 into tsunami relief efforts.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi says the television programme Campbell Live was inaccurate and misleading.

The programme's host, John Campbell, alleged donations for the 2009 tsunami were unaccounted for and implied Samoans were short changed by their government.

The TV3 owners, Mediaworks, says it has no record of any complaint from the Samoan government about the two programmes which screened in early November.

A spokesperson for the Broadcasting Standards Authority also says it has received no complaint.

In March, the Samoan government had a complaint upheld over a report by Television New Zealand.