TVNZ upheld 1500 complaints against its former Breakfast host Henry, who had commented that Anand Satyanand did not look like a New Zealander and also joked about the Delhi chief minister's name.
TV New Zealand has apologised to 1500 complainants over former host Paul Henry's comments against the Indian-origin governor general and denounced his mocking of Sheila Dikshit's name, acknowledging that the airing of the remarks breached standards of broadcasting.
TVNZ upheld 1500 complaints against its former Breakfast host Henry, who had commented that Anand Satyanand did not look like a New Zealander and also joked about the Delhi chief minister's name.
TVNZ received the flood of complaints after Henry implied governor-general Anand Satyanand did not look or sound like a New Zealander.
The company acknowledged that those comments were offensive in a letter sent to all complainants, the New Zealand Herald said in a report.
It upheld complaints on the grounds that they breached standards of fairness and discrimination, good taste and decency and denigration.
"The Complaints Committee sincerely apologises to you for the breach of Broadcasting Standards. We understand that you were deeply offended by Paul Henry's comments," the letter read.
TVNZ spokesperson Andi Brotherston's statement that Henry was simply saying the things "we quietly think but are scared to say out loud" could not be considered by the committee.
However, it recognised that the comment compounded the offence caused.
The complaints committee also denounced Henry's mocking of Dikshit by deliberately mispronouncing her name.
It said Henry's repeated mispronounciation of her name and attempt to make a scatological joke about it breached broadcasting standards, the committee said.
Henry resigned from TVNZ after the controversial comments sparked a diplomatic row with India.
Complainants now have 20 days to decide whether to take further action with the Broadcasting Standards Authority.
TVNZ spokesperson Megan Richards said the company had done all it could to deal with the comments.
"It's hard to see what could be done beyond what has been done. But we'll have to leave it to the BSA".
No further action will be taken against Brotherston, she said.
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