23 March 2010

“The trend by the networks to sexualise news and current events is disturbing” – Family First

Family First NZ is welcoming a ruling from the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) demanding that TVNZ publicly acknowledge their breach of broadcasting standards for a programme in August 2010 which offended many families with its gratuitous display of the porn industry. TVNZ has also been ordered to pay a paltry $3,000 fine.

“As a result of a campaign by Family First supporters, TVNZ received an ‘unprecedented’ number of complaints regarding this programme. The Close Up story was based around the promotion of the porn industry - all under the guise of so-called 'daily news and current events’. The trend by the television networks to sexualise news and current events and use sexual innuendo is disturbing,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“Unfortunately, despite Family First’s request, Close Up refused to apologise on air to families for this programme, and the complaint was referred to the BSA by a concerned family. This is not the first time that Close Up has been found guilty of breaching broadcasting standards for this type of material. They continue to flout the regulations thinking that they can just easily apologise to people who make the effort to complain.”

“The BSA said that the material was ‘raunchy and sexually explicit’, ‘prolonged and sustained’, and that it would have offended a significant number of viewers. Close Up should apologise on air to families for this breach.”

“Parents are sick and tired of lunging for the remote to protect children from offensive and inappropriate content during family viewing hours and family movies. They are also disrespecting families by promoting adult programmes during family movies.”

“We would warn families that viewing news and current events programmes together as a family for educational and informational purposes is no longer guaranteed to be safe and appropriate. And that’s a tragedy.”

In a poll of 1,000 NZ’ers last year, respondents were asked, ‘Television broadcasters are obliged to protect children from sexual content, violent material, and language that exceeds current norms of good taste and decency. Are you concerned about the type of language used, or the level of violence and sex shown on TV before 8.30 pm when children are likely to be watching?’ 65% said they were concerned, 29% said they weren’t, and 6% didn’t know or refused to answer. Women and over 60 year olds were most concerned.

“While this particular decision is welcome, it’s time the broadcasters were put on notice by the BSA and the Minister of Broadcasting to clean their act up and start putting the welfare of families first and protect them from this increasing level of offensive and sexual material,” says Mr McCoskrie.

ENDS

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