Dear Mr Johnston

I refer to your request of 15 September regarding the casting of The Check Up.

Please note that this is a programme made by an external production company, Great Southern TV (GSTV). As such, any "vetting or establishing the credentials of the doctors appearing" is solely for GSTV.

As to correspondence regarding the "credibility or appropriateness of views held by doctors", the attached email trail relates to a matter brought to our attention by funding body NZ On Air on 11 September. Please note that names and gender references have been removed under Section 9(2)(a) of the Act, and one passage in the email of 14 September at 10.22am has been withheld under Section 9(2)(g)(i) of the Act in that it represents full and frank internal discussion.

Since receiving your request there has been further free and frank opinion shared within TVNZ and with GSTV in relation to one doctor who featured in Series 1, but is not appearing in Season 2 (currently being filmed). This correspondence is withheld under Section 9(2)(g)(i) of the Act.

In our view the withholding of the information is not outweighed by other considerations which render it desirable in the public interest to make it available. In accordance with Section 19(b) of the Act we advise that you have the right to seek an investigation and review of the above refusal by making a complaint under Section 28(3) to an Ombudsman.

Yours sincerely

Brent McAnulty
General Counsel & Corporate Affairs Director

m. +64 27 226 4913

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