Sky block proactive

Sky Television says removing Sky News Australia from its channel line-up on Friday was its own decision.

Spokeswoman Kristy Martin said in a statement on Saturday that Sky had decided to remove Sky News Australia from its platform ‘‘while disturbing footage of the shootings was being shown to avoid causing any distress to our viewers’’.

Martin said the decision to replace the channel on Sky TV was done in consultation with Sky News Australia.

‘‘At no time did the New Zealand Police request that we remove Sky News Australia content,’’ Martin said yesterday.

Sky has not commented on whether Sky TV might have inadvertently breached the Objectionable Publications Act by screening Sky News Australia’s reports before the block was put in place.

Its goal was to ensure ‘‘any live coverage or commentary taking place in Australia, outside of the NZ jurisdiction, did not compromise the New Zealand investigations and legal process’’, Martin said.

Chief censor David Shanks has officially classified the ‘‘full 17 minute video’’ as objectionable, meaning New Zealanders could face a 14-year jail term for sharing or distributing it.

A spokeswoman for the Office of Film and Literature Classification said any edited clip would need to be treated as a new publication and a separate judgment would need to be made.

However, it is understood the office is preparing a further clarification.

Although Sky TV and Sky News Australia share the ‘‘Sky’’ brand, there is no ownership connection between the services.

Sky has replaced Sky News with Fox Sports News. ‘‘We’re working with Sky News Australia to get the channel up as soon as possible,’’ Martin said.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority is investigating whether Australian broadcasters breached its rules by showing the video.

The authority said its investigation would focus on ‘‘any content of the perpetrator-filmed, live-streamed footage of the shootings that was broadcast on Australian television’’. It was also concerned about content made available or linked to on broadcasters’ websites.

Chairwoman Nerida O’Loughlin would write to the chief executives of the commercial, national and subscription broadcasters ‘‘requesting urgent information on the nature, extent and timing of the broadcast of content relating to the shootings’’.