TV News

The Simpsons Channel 4
7 October 2015, 18:00

The Simpsons is an irreverent animated comedy produced in the USA, appealing to a mixed audience of children and adults, and broadcast by Channel 4

Ofcom was alerted by a viewer to a sequence in which Homer Simpson was shown hanging by a noose from a tree. The viewer felt this was inappropriate for an early evening broadcast when families would be watching.

Ofcom viewed the programme. We noted that the storyline in this episode centred on the relationship between Homer Simpson and his son, Bart, and prominently featured strangulation. In summary, the key segments included:

• A therapist sought to build trust between father and son through a series of outdoor activities, which Bart used to ridicule Homer. This culminated in a sequence in which Homer was shown standing on the branch of a tree with rope in a noose around his neck. The therapist persuaded Homer to jump, assuring him that Bart will cut you down . As Homer jumped from the branch, kicking and struggling against the tightened noose, Bart turned away to write a text message on his phone. The action then moved to a different location.
   

• When Bart was shown again, Homer's feet were visible in the background, still kicking in thin air. The therapist then strangled Bart in frustration at the boy's callousness, while Homer -- avoiding suffocation by holding the noose away from his neck with his hands -- remarked You see? You see how that boy pushes your buttons! The therapist continued to strangle Bart, stating We'll talk when he's dead. Just break already . Bart reached to cut Homer down. After Homer fell to the ground he removed the therapist's fingers from around Bart's neck.

Ofcom considered Rule 1.3:

Children must...be protected by appropriate scheduling from material that is unsuitable for them.

Channel 4 apologised for any offence caused to viewers by this episode. Channel 4 said that it had reviewed and made edits to the instances of violence and potentially imitable behaviour in this episode before it was originally broadcast in December 2014, mainly to reduce the hanging scene. As a result of that broadcast, the Licensee said it had received two complaints about the content. In light of those complaints, Channel 4 said the episode was reviewed again with the result that the cumulative effect of the mock strangulation together with the hanging scene were deemed to be too strong for the scheduled time. Channel 4 said regrettably, due to human error, the edits which were considered necessary to correct this were not put into effect with the consequence that the episode was repeated without the further edits . Channel 4 said it would not repeat this episode before the watershed, and that it will be reviewing the specific compliance process for The Simpsons going forward .

Ofcom Decision: Breach of Rule 1.3

Although we were mindful of the comedic nature of the material, this episode focused on strangulation and contained a prolonged sequence showing a repeated physical attack on Homer who did not resist, and who clearly appeared to suffer as the assault was taking place. We considered that a sequence in which a well-known character was first encouraged to hang himself and was then shown doing so was uncomfortable and unexpected. We acknowledged that the comedic tone helped to limit the potential unsuitability of the material for child viewers. However, we considered that this was insufficient to counteract the overall effect of the separate and lengthy instances of physical harm shown. We therefore considered that the cumulative effect of these sequences made the material unsuitable for children.

Ofcom acknowledges that the inclusion of potentially harmful acts in an animated programme can distance viewers from their portrayal and can mitigate their potential unsuitability for child viewers to some extent. However, this does not mean that the portrayal of such acts does not need to be suitably limited in this type of programming. In this case, we considered that the scenes of strangulation and hanging were likely to have exceeded audience expectations for a programme shown at 18:00 on a public service channel.

We noted the decision by Channel 4 not to show this episode again in a pre-watershed slot and its apology for the broadcast of this material. Nevertheless, we concluded that this episode of The Simpsons was not appropriately scheduled and was therefore in breach of Rule 1.3.

A mother has complained to Ofcom about a graphic beheading scene shown on children's TV. An animated toast soldiers was shown beheading an egg in an ISIS-style execution.

Angela Halliwell claimed the execution was inappropriate for young children. She ludicrously claimed::

Kids could think extreme violence like beheading is normal.

The scene appeared in an episode of OOglies on CBBC in 2012 but is still available on iPlayer. It also shows a toast soldier covered in strawberry jam after being shot, before the character throws back a grape 'grenade .

A BBC spokesperson told MailOnline:

OOglies is a popular slapstick comedy series that depicts all sorts of food getting into scrapes with each other. This clip involving a boiled egg and toast is no different and we would be surprised if our audiences read anything more into it.

Australia is updating its rules for its TV watershed.

Australia's TV censors of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) are revising TV watershed rules from 1st December 2015.

A revised Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice will bring forward the watershed for M-Rated programs on free-to-air networks by an hour to 7:30pm. The shift is expected to have a significant knock on effect for the networks enabling them to bring more edgy programming on earlier in the evening.

The Australian M rating is an advisory rating recommending that content is suitable for those 15 years an old.

The code, drafted by Free TV and approved by ACMA, aims to account for the much freer access consumers have to TV content through both platforms and delivery methods that has rendered time restrictions for programming less relevant.

ACMA chairman Chris Chapman said the code had been designed to give consumers a greater role in choosing what they wanted to watch and when. he said:

The digital era has also brought challenges for viewers, and the new code is designed to assist them to better manage their own viewing in an environment in which responsibility will be increasingly shared between government, industry and, importantly, viewers.

A few viewers have vented their 'fury' at the BBC after this week's episode of Doctor Who showed a plane being shot out of the sky by a missile.

The super sensitive tweeters claimed the timing of the episode was insensitive given the terror attack on the Russian plane flying out of Egypt.

In the episode a shapeshifting alien takes the form of Clara Oswald and shoots at the plane with the with the intention of killing the doctor and all of the others on board The missile is seen hitting the plane before it explodes and is brought to the ground where viewers were shown the burning wreckage.

The Daily Mail dredged up a few trivial tweets:

• Surprised the BBC would show a plane being shot down given recent events #doctorwho
• Given the situation in Egypt, perhaps blowing up a plane on this week's episode of Doctor Who was not wise.
• Can't believe #doctorwho showed a plane being shot out of the sky given the current news #insensitive.

A BBC spokesman responded:

The episode was clearly signposted as science fiction set in a fantasy world and no one died in the scene.

Update: Official BBC response: Gotcha, it was a military aircraft, not a commercial airliner

10th November 2015. See  article from bbc.co.uk

Doctor Who
BBC One, 7 November 2015

Complaint:

We received complaints from viewers who felt that scenes showing the destruction of an aeroplane were inappropriate in light of recent events.

Response:

We're aware that elements of drama programmes can sometimes bring to mind real events, and we always think very carefully about this.

In this case, though, the story was presented as a science fiction fantasy, far removed from the real world. The episode didn't depict a passenger-carrying commercial airliner - it was a military aircraft on official business - and both the Doctor and his companion survived.

With this in mind we didn't feel the scenes would be outside of most viewers' expectations for the programme, but we appreciate the differing feedback we've received.

Update: Complaints to Ofcom will surely be made into paper planes for crashing into the waste bin

13th November 2015. See  article from independent.co.uk

TV censor Ofcom said it has received 30 complaints about the Doctor Who plane crash. No doubt these will soon be consigned to the waste paper bin.

Update: Ofcom reject complaints without investigation

24th November 2015. See  article from theguardian.com

Ofcom has decided against launching an investigation into the plane crash episode of Doctor Who. A spokesman said:

We received a number of complaints that it was insensitive to broadcast this episode, which featured a plane being shot down, so close to events in the Sinai peninsula. In our view, the science fiction nature of Doctor Who and the storyline created a sufficient distinction from recent events. We therefore will not be taking the matter forward for investigation.

Inside Amy Schumer (trailer)
Comedy Central, 5 September 2015, 22:00

A complainant alerted Ofcom to a trailer broadcast at 22:00 on Comedy Central for the new season of Inside Amy Schumer, which they considered to be too graphic in its language and description of sexual acts.

The trailer featured a group of men sitting around a table playing poker. A female character played by the comedian Amy Schumer entered the room with a plate of chicken wings, which she placed in the middle of the poker table. Before leaving the room she turned to one of the players, her husband, played by the actor Zach Braff, and put her arms around his neck before saying:

If nobody needs anything else, honey, I'm going to head upstairs, start lubing up, so you can blast my dirt-box with your thumb while you lobster hand me in the twat, okay? Seriously, I want you to thumb-dash that mudpit 'til I make a pig noise. Then you can shit on my tits while I call my mom.

Amy Schumer then addressed the other poker players ( You guys are always welcome here! ) before leaving the room. Zach Braff then paused for a moment, while all the other poker players looked down in an uncomfortable silence, and then reached for a chicken wing and said: Guess I should eat up... I gotta shit on those tits!

Ofcom considered Rule 2.3:

In applying generally accepted standards broadcasters must ensure that material which may cause offence is justified by the context...Such material may include, but is not limited to, offensive language,...sex,...discriminatory treatment or language (for example on the grounds of...gender.... Appropriate information should also be broadcast where it would assist in avoiding or minimising offence.

Ofcom Decision: Breach of rule 2.2

Although the Code requires that potentially offensive material is justified by its context, there is significant room for innovation, creativity and challenging material within comedy programming. However, broadcasters do not have unlimited licence in terms of offensive material. There may be circumstances in which relevant contextual factors (such as whether the editorial content is programming or a trailer, audience expectations, or warnings given to the audience) are not sufficient to justify the broadcast of offensive material.

Ofcom first considered whether the material in this programme had the potential to cause offence. We noted that in this trailer Amy Schumer used a number of highly graphic terms to describe various sexual acts such as: lubing up ; blast my dirt-box with your thumb ; lobster hand me in the twat ; thumb-dash that mudpit ; and shit on my tits . We considered that these various graphic, sexual references were clearly capable of causing offence.

We went on to consider whether the broadcast of these potentially offensive statements were justified by the context.

We assessed first the editorial context in which the trailer was broadcast. We noted this trailer was broadcast at 22:002, one hour after the watershed. We recognised that viewers of specialist comedy channels, such as Comedy Central, would have been likely to expect stronger and more challenging material to be broadcast at this time well after the watershed.

However, the content in this case was included within a trailer. Ofcom's research on offensive language notes that audiences consider offensive language less acceptable if it is included in trailers. This is because audiences do not choose to watch promotions for programmes. They come across them unawares. Viewers cannot therefore make informed choices to avoid offensive material in trailers compared to pre-scheduled programmes, and consequently audiences consider that the offensive language is imposed upon them.

Ofcom noted that this material was highly graphic in its use of sexual language, and that in our opinion the latitude given to licensees to broadcast highly offensive language in trailers (which are promotional and which viewers come across unawares) should be less than in programmes. We concluded that the content was so offensive that in our view it would have exceeded viewers' expectations even when broadcast at 22:00 (and afterwards) on a specialist comedy channel.

Breach of Rule 2.3

Update: South Park Trailer Too

27th November 2015. See  complaints bulletin [pdf] from stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk

Ofcom similarly whinged about the same channel's trailer for South Park shown at 10pm.

The trailer had a total duration of about 30 seconds. It featured a song celebrating South Park's new season, citing various situations that the characters had found themselves in previous episodes. The lyrics were as follows:

Do you recall when Cartman found out his mom was his Dad?
Or Kyle being turned into a human centi-pad?
Or how Butters became a pimp and took care of his hos?
Well, I got some good news for you; we're making brand new shows!
South Park's back for series 19, I can't fucking wait.
They've been on for nearly 20 years and they're still fucking great.
'I think I prefer Family Guy', some fucking asshole moans.
Well, why don't you go fuck yourself 'cos South Park's coming home!

Ofcom concluded:

Our view was that the offensive content within this trailer was not justified by the context and exceeded generally accepted standards. Consequently, the trailer breached Rule 2.3 of the Code.

Breach of Rule 2.3

The Parents Television Council announced the companies that it chose for its annual Best/Worst Advertisers List. The Best companies on this list have demonstrated willingness to support positive TV programming including TV shows that routinely feature sex, violence, and profanity, and have not responded to moralist calls to reevaluate their sponsorship behavior.

Some of those shows include: Family Guy , which over the past year has featured 'jokes' about sexually assaulting children; Wicked City , a serial killer-focused drama that routinely shows graphic violence and sex; Scream Queens , which shows graphic gore akin to R-rated horror movies.

PTC asks Americans to use this list as they begin their holiday shopping, to reward the good ones and avoid the bad ones.

INDUSTRY	Worst miserable gits	Best fun filled sponsors
Computers/Software	Google	Microsoft
Candy	Nestle; Mondelez International (Trident, Dentyne, Bubblicious, Toblerone)	Mars; Wrigley
Pharmaceutical	Sanofi; Johnson & Johnson	Bayer; Merck
Consumer Brands	P&G (Cover Girl, Luvs, Swiffer, Bounty, Tide, Crest, Pampers, Olay, Duracell, Gillette, Always, NyQuil)	Unilever (Dove, Axe, Lipton, Suave, Vaseline, Hellmann's)
Beverages	Coca Cola	Red Bull
Fast Food	Wendy's; Dunkin' Brands	McDonald's; Burger King; Yum!
Insurance	Prudential	Nationwide
Office Supply	Office Depot	Staples
Jewelry/Retail	Helzberg Diamonds	Kay Jewelers
Clothing/Retail	TJX (Marshalls, Home Goods, TJ Maxx)	L Brands (Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, La Senza)
General Retail	Sears; Walmart	Target; Best Buy

There has been a bit of a debate in America about why Christianity, which would have formed a central part of the lives of the aristocracy in the early 20th century, is largely absent from the TV drama Downton Abbey .

Now the man tasked with ensuring the historical accuracy of the series has revealed why Downton does not do God. Alastair Bruce, who serves as the show's historical advisor , said that executives in charge of the series had ordered producers to leave religion out of it , for fear of alienating an increasingly atheistic public.

For instance, the Crawley family is never shown in the process of sitting down to dinner, with the action instead shown from part-way through the meal . This, Bruce said, was to avoid having to show the characters saying grace. Bruce explained:

In essence you hardly ever see a table that isn't already sat at. We never see the beginning of a luncheon or a dinner, because no one was ever allowed to see a grace being said , and I would never allow them to sit down without having said grace.

I think that the view was that we'd leave religion out of it, and it would've taken extra time too. I suggested a Latin grace, but they decided that was too far, and no one would've known what was going on.

Bruce said that he was even banned from featuring napkins folded in the shape of a bishop's mitre, for fear of breaching the religious edict:

Everyone panics when you try to do anything religious on the telly. I still wish we could've got some decent napkin folds , but I was always left with my triangle.

Peter Fincham, ITV's director of television also revealed that earlier in the year that the channel had considered renaming the series, because it featured the word Abbey in the title. He said:

I can remember discussions that almost seem comical now. We talked about the word Abbey. Would people think it would have nuns or monks in it and be a religious series? But we satisfied ourselves they wouldn't and did a bit of marketing around it.

Stephen Colbert showed a penis on CBS's The Late Show . He showed it for only two seconds, the maximum length of time that the US network's censors would allow.

He also attempted to show numerous sets of female breasts and pubes, but they had to be blurred out for broadcasting at 11.30pm.

The explanation of the network's ridiculous censorship policy came about because Colbert noticed that some network news accounts of the record-breaking sale of Modigliani's Reclining Nude couldn't show the actual painting without blurring out her Hootie and the Blowfish , as he so delicately put it.

In an interview Breitbart News Daily, Tim Winter president of the US morality campaign, Parents Television Council, discussed how the Hollywood echo chamber is responsible for pushing increasingly violent and sexualized television programming at families and why adult-oriented cable channels like the FX Network should not be included in basic cable packaging. Winters whinged:

It used to be, when you turned on the TV, you could see something during most times of the day that the family could watch together. And sadly, that just isn't true anymore,

Breitbart News Executive Chairman Stephen K. Bannon spoke of TV programming during times when families now watch as being: so edgy, so in your [face], and anti-authoritarian. He asked Winter to explain why it is this way instead of being designed to keep families across America in the viewing audience.

Winter claimed:

The folks who program the cable networks, really are a small group of folks who are [well] acquainted with each other, and they mostly like the same thing, and they are able to program the way they want to program for themselves.

He pointed out that this poses a problem for families that subscribe to cable for an array of television programming like news and sports because channels which he claimed would have once been considered pornographic are now lumped in with certain standard news or sports packages. He repeated his commonly aired gripe:

If you want to get Fox News, you also have to take and pay for some of these pornographic channels.

Winter specifically cited the FX Network as a supplier of content that children should be shielded from. He said it contains some of the most violent and most sexually explicit content that the Parents Television Council has ever seen on basic cable.

Of course Winter had to get in a big but. He said it isn't about being a censor or a prude ...BUT... about letting children be children without simultaneously having them exposed to things that their parents are trying to shield them from seeing.

India's Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) has issued a notice to Star World for showing a lesbian encounter and for supposedly denigrating women in its popular soap Grey's Anatomy in June. The notice follows complaints from the ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B).

According to the ministry complaint, the scenes are indecent, vulgar. The BCCC has sought a response by December 1.

After viewing the episode, BCCC headed by Justice (retired) Mukul Mudgal was of the opinion that the content appeared to be explicit and objectionable.  A senior BCCC member added:

Keeping Indian audiences in mind we felt that the scenes were not tasteful. So we have asked them to respond.

In the episode that attracted complaints from viewers a lady doctor tells her male colleague about how she failed to please her partner. She asks him to teach her how to satisfy a woman's physical needs by demonstrating it.

Last April an Argentinain judge had put a stop tp attempts to have the former BBC presenter< Jeremy Clarkson charged with falsification over a Falklands referencing number-plate on the Porsche he drove for a tour of the country.

But state prosecutors appealed the judges decision not to press ahead with a full-scale criminal investigation against Clarkson and his ex- Top Gear team. And now  three appeal judges sided with prosecutors and ordered the reactivation of the case.

Prosecutors are avenging the joke by claiming the Top Gear team committed a crime under article 289 of the Argentinian Penal Code which carries a prison sentence of between six months and three years for those who falsify, alter or suppress the number of an object registered in accordance with the law.

However it is relevant to note that although the UK has an extradition treaty with Argentina, British courts have blocked recent requests over human rights concerns.

An official from the US State Department has expressed concern over the decision by the state-owned Turkish Satellite Communications Company (Türksat) to stop broadcasting TV channels that are critical of the government, calling on Turkey to respect media freedoms. The official said:

We have seen reports of the ban on certain TV channels. As we've said before, we are concerned by the increasing number of investigations into media outlets for criticism of the government and for accusations of allegedly disseminating terrorist propaganda. We are also concerned by the aggressive use of judicial inquiries to curb free speech.

We call on Turkey to respect media freedoms and due process protections that are enshrined in the Turkish Constitution. They are key elements in every healthy democracy. It is particularly important to allow different voices and viewpoints to be expressed during the [election] campaign period," the US official added.

TV stations Irmak TV, Bugün TV and Kanaltürk, which are known for their critical stance toward the government, were recently notified by Türksat that their contracts will not be renewed as of November. The stations were told to remove their platforms from Türksat's infrastructure by the end of October.

Türksat's move to drop these channels is the latest instance of TV streaming platforms removing stations critical of the government and means viewers will not be able to tune in to the stations on any platform, with the exception of the stations' own online streaming applications.

The Parents Television Council is hyaving a good whinge about gruesome scenes in American Horror Story: Hotel.

The moralist campaign group has ranted at the show for the season premiere, which featured a bloody orgy between Matthew Bomer, Lady Gaga, two ill-fated lovers, and a rape scene involving Max Greenfield in which his character is violated with a spiked sex toy.

The PTC president, Tim Winter, wrote that the premiere featured an unbelievably explicit combination of sex and violence and attempted to rouse support from other Americans to boycott the series, along with banding together to discourage advertisers from being associated with the show. He colourfully claimed:

This is the most vile and shocking content I've ever seen on TV. Ever. Most Americans have no idea this is primetime fare on advertiser-supported basic cable. And everyone is paying for it as part of their program bundle.

American Horror Story: Hotel airs well after the watershed at 10pm, and with the word horror in the title, it's unlikely that there will be many accidental viewers.

The US morality campaign group, The Parents Television Council, writes:

The Parents Television Council (PTC) is urging McDonald's to reconsider sponsoring Fox Broadcasting's new series, Scream Queens , which has featured graphic gore and sexual content that would typically be seen in R-rated movies, and that airs as early as 7 pm in half of the country. McDonald's ads have appeared on the first four episodes of the new TV show.

The PTC's review of Scream Queens said, Parents are warned: mean-spirited, sexualized, gory horror show is unsafe for children of any age. Content in the show has included a character's face being fried in hot cooking fat; another character is sprayed with hydrochloric acid, with close-ups showing her bloody skin burning and melting off; several young sorority pledges are buried in the ground up to their necks while the Devil drives over their heads on a riding mower. The episode that aired on October 6 th featured a discussion about necrophilia.

PTC President Tim Winter said:

The Golden Arches brand now stands for sexual fantasies with dead people and with decapitating college coeds. No wonder McDonald's is having problems attracting families, when millions of the company's media dollars underwrite such content on Scream Queens early in the evening on primetime broadcast TV.

Not only is McDonald's financing a toxic media culture, they are hurting their own pocketbooks. We urge McDonald's to do well and to do good at the same time, by changing course and recognizing what scientific research has already proven to be true -- that advertising on TV shows with explicit content can truly be bad for business.

One such study is from the Department of Psychology at Iowa State University and suggests that programs with high levels of violent or sexual content can actually repress the viewers' ability to recall advertised brands. By contrast, subjects who watched 'neutral' programming were better able to recall the ads the following day.

Nevertheless, and amid falling sales, McDonald's corporate marketing team has continued to compromise its image and reputation as a family-friendly fast-food destination with poor sponsorship decisions; and those sponsorship decisions are hurting the McDonald's brand, hurting McDonald's reputation with families, and hurting their franchisees.

It's time for McDonald's to stop sponsoring offensive and harmful TV content, especially early in primetime when the content is so easily accessible to kids.

A TV presenter has faced a ludicrous PC overreaction to a jokey reference to a film about 9/11.

The ITV gaming show Jackpot 24/7 was being presented by Emma Lee who opened with the line:

Thank you so much for coming in for an emergency landing with us tonight. Brace yourselves, it's going to be good. We hope you enjoyed the movie there on ITV. It's time for you to sit tight.

She was referencing the film United 93 which had been playing previously on the channel. The film depicts the 33 passengers and crew who overpowered terrorists who hijacked their plane during the September 11 attacks, sacrificing themselves but saving potential victims on the ground.

The Sun reported that she was told to 'back reference' a film about a plane which was playing before the show aired, however she was not told much about the film or its theme.

A few viewers took to social media to voice their 'outrage' at the reference via Twitter:

@ITV - Straight after #United93 aired on Sep 12th. How disgustingly insensitive can you get @Jackpot247 ?!

ITV -- the twit woman on #jackpot247 just made a terrible joke regarding the film #united93 -- was NOT funny! Those people lost their lives!

Jackpot 24/7 said they will be holding an investigation into the incident, and have apologised for the comments.

Recently, judges at Delhi High Court found that under the Cable Network Regulation Act, any movie with U/A (PG) or A (18) certification, which were not suitable for unrestricted exhibition, cannot be shown on television.

Most industry insiders fear that not allowing U/A films from being screened on television will mean a loss of 40% revenue for producers. Not just local producers and regional channels, even those screening foreign movies will face a huge issue if such a norm is put into effect.

Actress Rituparna Sengupta termed this as a detrimental step. It'll harm both actors and producers. Producer Srikant Mohta described this as the last nail on the industry's coffin . Describing this as an attack on freedom of expression, director Srijit Mukherji said this will mean asking film-makers to make movies for kids. Producer Rana Sarkar apprehended that such a move would result in a massacre . This is death of creativity, Sarkar said.

The recent development happened when on August 21, the Delhi High Court stayed the television premier of Indra Kumar's Grand Masti after a petition was filed by MediaWatch-India, a moralist group campaigning for 'decency' and accountability in the media. The adult Hindi film had earlier been re-certified by Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) after 33 minutes of cuts But the court stay order had said that the film was not certified for unrestricted public exhibition and cannot be televised under the Cable Network Regulation Act. In an interim order, the court had rejected the argument that parents could change the channel since a warning that it was not suitable for minors is shown before such a movie starts. The bench had observed that a child's TV viewing may not always be under parental supervision.

Manish Desai, CEO of India's films censors said:

The matter is still being examined, especially in the light of the petition on 'Grand Masti' which was converted from 'A' to 'U/A' with deletions.

A notice has been issued to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and CBFC seeking their replies by September 16 on a plea seeking quashing of the U/A certification given to the movie.

ITV has apologised after a poll on Loose Women about rape 'offended' political correct viewers. The show foolishly dared to ask whether rape was ever a woman's fault.

The poll followed on from comments The Pretenders' singer Chrissie Hynde had made in the Sunday Times.

The Loose Women poll drew criticism on Twitter, with one viewer Rebecca Gill calling it off the scale of acceptability .

Rape Crisis for England and Wales tweeted that it was

Not an appropriate opinion poll; legally and morally the answer is a resounding 'no'

Katie Russell the national spokesperson for Rape Crisis England & Wales added:

A programme like Loose Women could choose to use its high profile to raise awareness and understanding of rape, its impacts and prevalence, and to support and encourage survivors to seek services like those Rape Crisis offers; instead, they've reinforced myths and stereotypes with this ill-considered, insensitive and insulting poll.

In a statement issued to The Guardian an ITV spokesperson said:

We always want to know what our viewers think about topical issues, however, we accept that the wording of the online poll was misjudged and we apologise for any offence caused.

TV censor Ofcom said it had received 53 complaints about the poll. i

Update: Ofcom inevitably not interested

17th September 2015. See  article from imediaethics.org

Ofcom has announced that it will not be investigating 73 complaints relating to the PC gaff by the Loose Women programme makers. An OfCom spokesperson told iMediaEthics:

We carefully considered a number of complaints that it was offensive for this programme to ask the audience 'are women ever to blame' in cases of rape.

We noted the panel did not say that rape victims were in any way responsible for the behaviour of their attackers; and the audience strongly concurred with the sentiment 'no means no' expressed by many on the panel.

We found the panel discussion and references to an online poll were in line with audience expectations for this live panel programme, which often covers difficult topics. Therefore, we are not taking the matter forward for investigation.

The Parents Television Council has enjoyed a good whinge about Miley Cyrus being sexy at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). PTC President Tim Winter spouted:

MTV had an opportunity to use its powerful VMA platform to stir a young audience to aspire to something positive and uplifting. Instead they chose to perpetuate blatant sexualization -- much of it self-inflicted by the artists -- and to celebrate the use of illegal drugs. MTV rated the content of the program as appropriate for a child as young as 14, though most parents of teens that age would find such a content rating preposterous. In the end, the network succeeded in what it wanted to do: stir up controversy without regard to its impact on an entertainment environment that is increasingly toxic for children.

Are we surprised that Miley Cyrus exposed herself to millions of viewers, and to more people who will inevitably see the news in the mainstream media? About as surprised as we'll be if the sun rises in the east tomorrow morning. We had hoped she would have proven us wrong and demonstrate her considerable talent as a performer, rather than rely on her own sexuality to entertain the audience.??

It's also unfortunate that the VMAs were underwritten by the vast majority of Americans who were forced to pay for MTV on their cable bills, but who don't give a damn about the VMAs.??

MTV and Cyrus could both be forces for something positive, but tonight's VMA partners relied on exposing millions of children to graphic, inappropriate and far-too-frequently offensive content.

The Daily Mail reported the PTC statement and added a little about Miley's nipple:

MTV had promoted the probability of outrageous goings on at the VMAs ahead of time by letting it be known there would be a delay and a dump button if necessary.

Despite that, much of the bad language managed to make it through and Miley was briefly exposed while changing backstage partially concealed behind a curtain.

The camera cut away, but not before she was heard saying, Oh, what's happening? Oh sorry, my tit's out?

Following the show, the 22-year-old went backstage where she lit up a joint as she talked to the media.

She then offered to pass it around the press corps and according to TMZ , some of the reporters and photographers indulged.

And of course the Daily Mail printed all the best and sexiest pictures (except Miley's nipple which was pixellated). See  article .

A Polish court has upheld a fine of PLN200,000 (€47,000) imposed by the TV censor KRRiT on TVN for broadcasting 'pornography'.

The fine was announced in March 2014 and related to Strength of Desire , a programme shown on TVN Style, a channel aimed at a female audience.

In the KRRiT's view, it infringed the Broadcast Law and TVN's explanation that it was modern, erotic cinema for women was inadmissible.

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief is a 2015 USA documentary by Alex Gibney.
Starring Lawrence Wright, Mike Rinder and Marty Rathbun.

A devastating two hour documentary based on Lawrence Wright's book of the same name. Scientology is laid bare by a film that skilfully knits together archive footage, testimonials from former high ranking officials and public, and dramatic reconstructions.

Sky Atlantic is to show a documentary on Scientology, despite legal pressure from the 'church'.

Alex Gibney's Going Clear traces the origins of the organisation and profiles former members, including Oscar-winning screenwriter Paul Haggis. It has alleged abusive practices at Scientology's US headquarters, which members have denounced as one-sided, bigoted propaganda .

The film premiered to wide acclaim in the US in March and was watched by 5.5 million viewers on HBO. It also garnered seven Emmy nominations.

The Church of Scientology has previously threatened to use the UK's libel laws to challenge any false or defamatory content if it is broadcast in the UK.

Although an initial screening, in April, was postponed, Sky has now confirmed it will be shown, without edits on 21 September. A spokesman for Sky told The Guardian:

Both Sky, and the producers of the film, have sought legal advice at every stage of the process and are confident the film complies with legal requirements in the territories in which we are screening the film.

Transporter: The Series is a Canada / France / USA / Germany action crime TV series by Louis Leterrier and Corey Yuen.
Starring Chris Vance, François Berléand and Charly Hübner.

Frank Martin is an ex special ops, who now spends his life as a transporter on the other side of the law. With three rules, he always completes his contracts. One way, or the other.

Channel 5 has recently started airing the Canadian action drama show Transporter The TV Series on Saturday nights at 9pm. (Episode 2 went out on 18th July.) The series is a spin-off of the Jason Statham film trilogy of the same name.

What's interesting, is that they're airing the uncut, original versions of the episodes, complete with four-letter-swearing, nudity and strong action violence, that were almost always cut in the USA when the show aired there last year on the TNT network, and which the BBFC would rate at 15 certificate levels. Five are warning viewers: This show contains offensive language (as apposed to the more usual contains strong language).

From Channel 5's Facebook page, it seems people aren't happy about the language.

It seems that the series was made in two versions. The original uncut version has been most widely aired but TNT opted for the watered down version. Wiki suggests that there may be other regional edits too.

 

BBC bosses have been finalising contingency plans in case they can't air a lot of Kanye West's set from Saturday night's Glastonbury headline slot because of strong or 'offensive' language.

They want to avoid a repeat of ITV's embarrassment which saw the channel mute the audio during his performance of All Day, due to repeated mentions of the word 'nigger'. A BBC source said:

The set list can change at the last minute, so who knows what Kanye could say on stage?

There are contingency plans in place. A warning will be broadcast ahead of his set, advising viewers to expect bad language, but as he comes on at 10.15pm there's hope it will be acceptable post-watershed.

Given his excessive swearing at the Brits, there will be a lot of nervy execs during his performance.

But they'll have to play it by ear on the night.

Update: O go on...just a couple

28th June 2015. See  article from  mirror.co.uk

West said the word 'nigger' twice within minutes of his headlining set, during the tracks Nigger in Paris and Black Skinhead.

The rapper also got the crowd to participate in his latest track All Day. The chorus for All Day features the word 'nigger' repeatedly.

Update: Motherducker!

30th June 2015. See  article from  news.softpedia.com
See BBC subtitled video from YouTube

Given the post-watershed hour, the BBC decided not to bleep Kanye West for his Glastonbury performance, the BBC did though embarrass itself over a puerile attempt at censoring the strong language for the subtitles.

BBC Subtitles tried a new approach by replacing offensive words with words that sounded similarly but didn't include profanity.

This way, they got motherducker and shut the lock up and ligger / ligga and so, so many more hilarious words. Whoever was working on BBC Subtitles that night eventually lost heart and replaced all with the generic [HE RAPS].

These ludicrous substitutions certainly amused some viewers and fun was to be had by all on Twitter.

Meanwhile 44 whinged to TV censor Ofcom about the strong language.

Update: BBC official statement

1st July 2015. See  article from  bbc.co.uk

Complaint

We received complaints from some viewers who were unhappy with some of the language used by Kanye West during his headline set.

BBC Response

The performance was broadcast after the watershed and clear warning notices were given that it may contain strong language -- both at the start of the show and again, with a caption placed on screen just as Kanye's act started.

Update: Ofcom complaints dismissed

14th July 2015. See  article [pdf] from  stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk

Ofcom have noted that the 46 complaints received about strong language at Glastonbury have been dismissed and will not be taken up for further investigation.

Malaysia's Film Censorship Board  (LPF), known in Malay as Lembaga Penapisan Filem, has issued bizarre new guidelines that are stricter for muslim Malay productions than for other local ethnic groups, mostly Chinese and Indian.

Apparently complaints were lodged by the public to the LPF about a local Malay drama that depicted a married couple in a bedroom scene. The complaints caused by said drama, Maid , prompted the LPF to introduce the new guidelines.

Issued on June 30, the guidelines apply mostly on local Malay productions, though any Chinese, Tamil and English productions that include a Malay cast will be subjected to the Malay productions criteria.

Some of what local TV dramas and movies will have to adhere to include:

• No passionate scene between men and women and members of the same sex
• No passionate kissing scene (on lips/neck)
• No molesting/ touching of the genitals and licking between men and women or members of the same sex scene
• No rape or sexual scene (except if filmed without lighting, behind mosquito nets, or filmed using vague shadows without sexual action)

For fans of horror movies, the below guidelines for any Malay/Chinese/Tamil/English productions will be even more horrifying than any Jasons or Ju-Ons to appear onscreen:

• No scene showing very scary and terrifying faces of creatures/entities
• No terrifying, nauseating and disgusting scenes

Meanwhile, action movies will have to think of a way to advance their plot without breaking any of the following guidelines:

• No scene depicting going against the law (except if the criminals face retribution)
• No scene or dialogue that gives a bad image to the government (example: bribing and misuse of power)

Of course, any usage of coarse language/gestures, portrayal of men as women (unless in disguise) and display of skin/genitals/genital outlines as well as anything political will also face the chopping board.

The guidelines currently address TV contents only but it is likely that they will be extended to movies playing in cinemas too.

Pahlaj Nihalani, surely the most megalomaniac head that the Central Board of Film Classification (CBFC) has ever had, has resurrected an old rule from 1990 that means that 'A ' (18) rated films can no longer be aired on television even if they have been re-cut or re-censored to be eligible for a U or U/A certificate.

Nihalani claims he's simply going by the book and told 9XE that this is a result of films in recent times becoming more predominantly vulgar themes by depicting sex and featuring double meaning dialogues , which he deems as infinitely more harmful than the violence and horror that would form a staple of Hindi cinema earlier. We cannot possibly edit out a film's theme, he was quoted as saying, so how do we re-censor these films to make them U or U/A?

TV channels are legally not allowed to broadcast adult content but have previously allowed the films to be shown after CBFC cuts to a lower rating. Of course if the CBFC refuse to make the cuts then the films are then automatically banned from TV.

Of course losing TV sales will hit the pockets of producers of such films and may lead to fewer A rated films being made.

TV censor Ofcom will not be investigating complaints about sexy outfits worn by Britain's Got Talent judges Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon.

Some 89 viewers whinged to the censor and a few more contacted ITV, claiming that the pair's outfits with plunging necklines, were inappropriate for a family show .

An Ofcom spokesman explained:

We assessed a number of complaints about the clothing worn by two female judges being unsuitable before the watershed, but won't be taking the matter forward for investigation. In our view, the dresses appropriately covered the judges and they were not portrayed in a sexualised way.

Amanda Holden previously spoke about the whingers saying in The Sun:

I don't give a shit. Well. It's important we listen to everyone's voice but 50 complaints in 10.5million viewers is a 0.000005 per cent share. Plus, I think an Amanda Holden Chest Appreciation Society would have more than 50 members.

Channel 4's latest hit drama Humans is based on a Scandinavian series called Akta Manniskor (Real Humans). But while the characters and the plot are almost identical, the UK version is markedly less sexy.

The Swedish version features several sexual encounters between humans and machines which will not feature in the remake, while scenes featuring nudity have been toned down. Co-writer Sam Vincent told The Mail on Sunday:

There is no nudity in the British version. We do not want to be perceived as being exploitative.

Last week, teenager Toby try to touch the breasts of robot synth Anita, played by Gemma Chan. But she stopped him, declaring it inappropriate. However, in the Swedish version, Anita allows him to rub her intimately. In another scene from the original, a male cyborg touches his female owner's breasts over the breakfast table before the couple are shown making love. This too is absent from the British version. And in another moment cut from the UK remake, the Swedish Anita removes her top and examines her breasts in a mirror.

When BBC Films announced it was to remake Swallows and Amazons, it stressed that the production would stay true to Arthur Ransome's classic. At least as far as political correctness would allow. The pluckiest of the Walker children has been renamed after it was decided a character called Titty would offend the easily offended, and so the character has been renamed Tatty.

Ransome based the characters on a real-life family, the Altounyans. One of their number, Mavis, was nicknamed Titty after the Joseph Jacobs' children's story Titty Mouse and Tatty Mouse.

Christine Langan, head of BBC Films, alluded to the ludicrous political correctness and commented that the film harks back to a pre-health and safety generation .

The film will be released next year.

Christian campaign group, One Million Moms writes:

TV Land calls their new program Impastor an irreverend new comedy. Christians are calling it disgusting!

Impastor is a show set to air July 15 10:30 p.m. ET/9:30 p.m. CT that includes a man stealing someone's identity who happens to be a pastor. The main character, posing as a gay preacher, recently hired sight unseen by a church that was aware of his lifestyle choice, but then start to notice other characteristics not typical of a pastor. The previews which air earlier in the evening are including the pastor having extensive knowledge of the quality of drugs and insinuating sexual relations with fruit such as cantaloupe. The church secretary catches the pastor sleeping around with women and other behaviors not typical of a Christian, much less a pastor.

This show not only depicts pastors in a negative light, but the entire program will also be based on lies about Christianity. TV Land has crossed the line by belittling the Christian religion with foul jokes.

Kuwait has issued a new decree partially partially removing the prior censorship requirement TV dramas and soaps.

The Ministry of Information issued decree no. 18/2015 saying:

This will allow companies to produce their works in a shorter period than in the past. This decree was prepared by a committee formed by Minister Sheikh Salman Al- Hmoud Al-Sabah in order to improve the content of local dramas and soap operas.

The decree canceled article 19 of law 61/2007 that forbade any changes, editing, canceling or adding to the approved script. It's now possible to do partial modification of the script as long as it doesn't change the idea or subject and is not in conflict with the law and general morals or system.

However removing some constraints from pre-censorship requires additional post broadcast censorship. Khalid Al-Duwaihi, consultant of the minister of information, spoke about the formation of the committee that agreed on issuing the new decree, which had 10 members including only four from the ministry and six from art unions and societies.

Pre-censorship continues for other genres of TV content.

Kanye West closed out the 2015 Billboard Music Awards with All Day and Black Skinhead . But TV viewers weren't able to fully enjoy Yeezy's performance, as the broadcast heavily muted parts of the show, including words that don't even anger the FCC or violate its censorship rules.

His agents released a statement criticizing the handling of televised event, and described the censorship ridiculous. The statement read:

Kanye West was grossly over-censored at the Billboard Music Awards. Non-profane lyrics such as 'with my leather black jeans on' were muted for over 30 second intervals As a result, his voice and performance were seriously misrepresented. It is ridiculous that in 2015, unwarranted censorship is something that artists still have to fight against. Although West was clearly set up to face elements beyond his control during the live broadcast, he would like to apologize to the television audience who were unable to enjoy the performance the way he envisioned.

Ofcom has published a survey on audience attitudes to TV and radio. This covers what people find 'offensive' on TV and radio, their awareness of and attitudes towards censorship, and their understanding of advertising and product placement. Unsurprisingly the survey supports Ofcom in its role in 'protecting' viewers, especially children.

The survey reported that most people (79%) had not been offended by anything on TV in the past year. However, one in five had found something offensive, rising to a third (33%) for people aged 65 and over. Those aged between 16 and 24 were least likely to be offended (9% compared with 33% of over 65s). Of course these figures exaggerate the 'offensiveness' of TV as they include people who have reported, minimal offensive programming ,or even just one incident in a year.

Of those who had been offended, bad language (44%), violence (41%) and sexual content (41%) were the top issues. Adults below 45 years old were more likely to say they had been offended by some type of discrimination (29% compared with 19% of over-45s).

On average, about half of all people thought current levels of sex (57%), violence (47%) and swearing (52%) on TV were acceptable. 43% felt there was too much violence, 40% too much swearing, while 28% said there was too much sex.

The vast majority of adult TV viewers (90%) knew about the 9pm watershed, with 57% saying about 9pm was the right time while 27% said the watershed should be later.

The report found a clear understanding about broadcast content is controlled via censorship rules, with 82% of adults aware that TV is censored. Most adults felt the current levels of TV and radio censorship were about right (61%), or did not have an opinion (18% for TV and 33% for radio).

Ofcom noted that it has a duty to 'protect' viewers from supposedly harmful and offensive material on TV and radio, as well as TV like content on internet connected devices.

Ofcom also notes that it is working with government, other censors, and industry bodies to bring about a common framework for media standards applying to TV, on-demand and radio. This will help ensure people are 'protected' and understand what is censored, and the protections in place.

The footage of Islamic State vehicles rolling through cities in broad daylight is old, say senior Obama administration officials from the State Department and the Pentagon, and networks should stop playing it.

Emily Horne, spokeswoman for the State Department said:

We are urging broadcasters to avoid using the familiar B-roll that we've all seen before, file footage of [Islamic State] convoys operating in broad daylight, moving in large formations with guns out, looking to wreak havoc.

it's inaccurate -- that's no longer how [the Islamic State] moves. A lot of that footage is from last summer before we began tactical strikes.

Indian community radio stations (CRS) are up in arms against a government order mandating daily submission of programmes that they broadcast. The move, they say, smacks of censorship and will prove to be a logistical nightmare.

The Community Radio Forum and several CR stations plan to protest against the decision and hope to meet information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry representatives next week.

In an order dated April 30 the I&B ministry directed radio stations:

To provide recordings of all programs broadcast by CRS on a daily basis from the date of receipt of this letter along with log books/Q sheet...

Unesco chair on community media Prof Vinod Pavarala said:

This is a ridiculous order which will amount to a logistical nightmare. It evokes fears of censorship and worse.

The concern was echoed by Gurgaon Ki Awaaz station director Arti Jaiman who expressed concern over the huge financial burden complying with the order would bring. I have no problem being accountable but this is a bureaucratic response to some pressure they are feeling.

The christian morality campaign group, One Million Moms, gushes over a new TV sitcom:

It is almost impossible to describe the depth of depravity found in the new TV Land sitcom, Younger . It airs on Tuesday nights at 10:00 p.m. ET/9:00 CT.

This new program is horrendous. Younger is the new version of Desperate Housewives or Sex in the City , which doesn't come as a surprise since it is written, produced, and directed by Darren Star (Sex and the City).

TV Land network describes the show in these words:

Younger follows 40-year-old Liza, a suddenly single mother who tries to get back into the working world, only to find out it's nearly impossible to start at the bottom at her age. When a chance encounter with a 20-something guy at a bar convinces her she looks younger than she is, Liza tries to pass herself off as 26 not only to land her dream job but also to date a much younger guy.

Every scene is filled with sexual innuendos, implications, or encounters. It is impossible to list them all, so here are a few scenes from this TV-14 rated show:

• Pixelated nudity
• Woman is completely topless during lunch at outdoor café
• "Topless Tuesday" = a slogan for women's empowerment
• Gives vagina pep talks
• Graphic bedroom scenes
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Homosexual attraction
• Main character helps friend remove feminine product stuck inside her

This comedy is anything but funny!

Jeremy Clarkson and his Top Gear colleagues deliberately entered Argentina with a Falklands-referenced number plate, a judge has whinged. Maria Cristina Barrionuevo rejected claims by the BBC and the presenter that the use of the plate H982 FKL on Clarkson's Porsche was an unfortunate coincidence . She also described the decision to drive through southern Argentina with the vehicle as arrogant and disrespectful .

The judge, based in the southern city of Ushuaia, where the trouble occurred last October, also ruled that the Porsche's number plate had been changed after the vehicle entered Argentina's southernmost tip of Patagonia. This is an offence that can lead to a conviction for falsification and carry a prison sentence of up to three years.

Local prosecutor Daniel Curtale had asked the judge to open a criminal investigation for alleged falsification. However, Mrs Barrionuevo rejected this call, concluding programme chiefs had acted to avert more conflict.  The prosecutors are understood to be preparing an appeal.

The judge concluded that the Top Gear team had not acted in bad faith in changing the plates and their hand was forced by massive government and popular pressure .

UK viewers can enjoy the 'disrespectful' fun in Top Gear: Patagonia Special .

Plans to broadcast HBO's Church of Scientology exposé, Going Clear , have been shelved by Sky Atlantic in a virtual repeat of events two years ago, when UK publishers abandoned publication of the book on which the new TV documentary is based.

Sky originally indicated that the Alex Gibney-directed film, which alleges abusive practices at the 'religion''s US headquarters, would be transmitted in the UK earlier this month in step with its American release.

However, the Observer has learned that because Northern Ireland is not subject to the 2013 Defamation Act, the broadcaster could be exposed to libel claims from David Miscavige, the leader of the church, or others. This appears to have caused the company to postpone transmission, if not to cancel it entirely.

Sky is unable to differentiate its signal between regions, rendering the same programme potentially exposed to pre-reform libel laws in Northern Ireland, but shielded in Britain where, among free-speech safeguards and reforms designed to limit frivolous claims or libel tourism , people or organisations must now show serious harm to reputation.

Scientology leaders said in a statement:

The Church of Scientology will be entitled to seek the protection of both UK and Irish libel laws in the event that any false or defamatory content in this film is broadcast within these jurisdictions.

The French channel TV5Monde which is internationally broadcast has been hacked by the muslim terrorists of Islamic State.

TV broadcasts were halted for 3 hours and simultaneously the channel's website and Facebook page were hacked.

The hackers posted documents on TV5Monde's Facebook page purporting to be the identity cards and CVs of relatives of French soldiers involved in anti-Isis operations, along with threats against the troops.

Soldiers of France, stay away from the Islamic State! You have the chance to save your families, take advantage of it. The CyberCaliphate continues its cyberjihad against the enemies of Islamic State.

The hackers had accused the French president, Francois Hollande, of having committed an unforgivable mistake by getting involved in a war that serves no purpose . That's why the French received the gifts of Charlie Hebdo and Hyper Cacher in January.

Viewers may be surprised to learn about the lengths the BBC must now to go to get a simple joke on air, with boxes to be ticked right up to the director-general.

An editor at BBC comedy has disclosed the careful compliance procedures as executives fear causing a national scandal with a politically incorrect joke. He said some jokes had to be checked personally by the director of television and even Lord Hall himself.

Speaking at a Bafta event about free speech and television, Chris Sussman, an executive editor for comedy at the BBC, said the corporation is now extra-wary of causing offence in a post-Sachsgate and Twitter world. He told an audience:

At the BBC, it's been a difficult few years and I think that is reflected internally in terms of the processes and procedures we go through when we're making programmes. Certainly since I've been there it's been, I would say, a tougher environment than it has been for a while. To get a certain joke on air, to get a joke approved, we have to go through quite a lot of layers.

We have editorial policy advisors, we have legal advisors, we have to run jokes past the channel. In certain circumstances they'd have to run jokes past the director of television. I've been involved in a programme where it's gone all the way up to the director-general.

He added that all jokes were now considered on the basis of whether they were funny enough to justify any potential offence caused.

The US TV censors of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have announced that they intends to fine a local TV station WDBJ7 $325,000 for airing sexually explicit material during a 6 o'clock newscast three years ago. The story aired about an adult film star who joined a local fire rescue squad.

The TV company obtained the troublesome video image online from the website of a distributor of the woman's adult films. The website, which was partially displayed along with the video image, is bordered on the right side by boxes showing video clips from other films that do not appear to show the woman who is the subject of the news report. One of these video clips, displayed in a box, contains the image of sexual activity involving manipulation of an erect penis. Although the box does not show the entire body or face of the apparently nude male depicted, the image shows a hand moving up and down the length of the shaft of the erect penis. WDBJ asserts that this image was displayed for less than three seconds.

The commission explained its arbitrary lynch mob justice:

Our action here sends a clear signal that there are severe consequences for TV stations that air sexually explicit images when children are likely to be watching.

WDBJ7's President and General Manager, Jeffrey Marks, issued a statement:

We are surprised and disappointed that the FCC has decided to propose to fine WDBJ7 for a fleeting image on the very edge of some television screens during a news broadcast. The story had gone through a review before it aired. Inclusion of the image was purely unintentional. The picture in question was small and outside the viewing area of the video editing screen. It was visible only on some televisions and for less than three seconds.

This year, WDBJ7 celebrates 60 years of broadcasting in the public interest, with news that is trusted and family friendly. We are sorry that this incident happened, of course, but we truly believe that the FCC failed to take into account the history of WDBJ7 and its six decades of outstanding broadcasting.

The enormous fine proposed by the FCC is also an extraordinary burden on protected speech. The FCC's largest base fine for other types of violations by broadcasters is $10,000. That is the fine for a misrepresentation to the FCC. A transfer of a license without authorization has a fine of only $8,000; use of a station to commit fraud results in a fine of $5,000; broadcast of an illegal lottery costs a station $4,000. As the FCC admits, its base forfeiture for a violation of the indecency rules is $7,000. This unprecedented proposed fine is more than 46 times higher than the FCC's own determination of the punishment for indecent speech.

As the FCC noted, Schurz Communications --- in its 60-plus year history of TV ownership -- has paid only one other FCC fine. That was for a minor and self-reported Children's Video issue.

WDBJ will oppose the FCC's proposed sanction.

A memo from the NBC Universal-owned network Bravo channel recently leaked onto the internet explaining the really specific way strong language is bleeped out. The rules are:

• Asshole -- bleep "ass" and keep "hole
• Bullshit -- bleep "it" and keep "bullsh (we cannot hear any of the "it")
• Fag -- must bleep the entire word; no portion of the word can be audible
• Faggot -- must bleep the entire word; no portion of the word can be audible
• Fuck -- keep "f" & bleep "uck" (we cannot hear any of the "k")
• Fucking -- keep "f" & bleep "uck" (and okay to leave the ing) (again, we cannot hear any of the "k")
• Shit -- "keep "sh" & bleep "it" (we cannot hear any of the "t")
• Shitting -- keep "sh" & bleep "it" and okay to leaving the "ing" (again, we cannot hear any of the "t")
• Motherfucking -- keep "mother" & "ing" and bleep all of "fuck"
• Retard -- must bleep the entire word; no portion of the word can be audible
• Tranny -- keep the "tr", bleep the "anny"
• Beaner -- keep the "er", bleep the "bean"
• Jap -- keep the "J", bleep the "ap"
• Midget -- keep the "mi" , bleep the "dget"

There were also 2 words that even the memo writer couldn't even write:

• The N and C words must always be bleeped

India's home minister has said that the government would act against the BBC after it ignored a court order and aired a documentary about a fatal gang rape in which one of the attackers blames the victim.

India's Daughter by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin was to have been shown on Sunday, International Women's Day, in India as well as in Britain, Denmark, Sweden and several other countries.

Indian police and the government got a court order that attempted to halt the screening. Indian authorities wrote to the BBC calling for the film not to be broadcast or posted online anywhere in the world, but the BBC brought it forward to air on Wednesday night.

The BBC said in a statement that it had moved the screening time forward given the intense level of interest and to enable viewers to see this incredibly powerful documentary at the earliest opportunity.

In a letter written by the BBC's director of TV Danny Cohen and obtained by The Independent, the broadcaster said it:

Appreciates [the government's] concern but said that the film represents an important account of an event that galvanised Indian opinion to ensure such tragedies are not repeated.

Indian viewers cannot see it on the BBC's website, but it could be seen on YouTube.

In the film Mukesh Singh, who was among four men convicted and sentenced to death for the 2012 rape and murder, said a girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy . Mukesh Singh is one of the men sentenced to death for the 2012 Delhi bus rape He added:

A decent girl won't roam around at 9 o'clock at night. ... Housework and housekeeping is for girls, not roaming in discos and bars at night doing wrong things, wearing wrong clothes.

Update: Attempting to censor YouTube too

6th March 2015. See  article from  thenews.com.pk

India's disgraceful attempt to censor a cultural bad attitude to women continues with an India request YouTube to block access to the documentary India's Daughter about a savage gang-rape in Delhi.

Home Ministry spokesman M.A. Ganapathy told AFP the government had asked YouTube to block links to the film in India after large numbers of people viewed it online.

The video is currently still online. See video from YouTube

Offsite Link: Banning the film has brought India into disrepute by obstructing free speech

8th March 2015. See  article from  theguardian.com

Leslee Udwin, the director of the documentary, said banning the film had brought India into disrepute by obstructing free speech.

The director of a documentary about the gang rape and murder of a woman in Delhi has said India committed international suicide by banning the film and asking for YouTube to remove all links to it.

The film, India's Daughter , was broadcast in Britain last week on BBC4 and many YouTube users have posted a recording of the programme on the site. It is available until Wednesday night in the UK on iPlayer .

Indian police said the ban was imposed as comments in the film by one of those convicted of the crime created an atmosphere of fear and tension.

...Read the full article

An Australian trade body representing the free-to-air television industry, Free TV, has called for the local TV watershed to be set at the earlier time of 7:30pm rather than the current 8:30pm.

In fact Australia currently has a two tier system with M rated content allowed after 8:30pm and MA rated content allowed after 9pm. An M rating is an advisory 15 rating that would be called PG-15 in US terms. MA is a restricted 15 rating that allows younger viewers when accompanied by an adult that would be called 15A in UK terms.

M-rated programming includes appropriate coarse language, simulated or restrained depictions of sex and nudity and non-high-impact violence.

MA-rated programming can include very coarse language, so long as it is story-appropriate, and nudity so long as it is relevant to the storyline or program context .

The proposed set of new commercial television guidelines would allow the broadcast of M-rated material after 7.30pm and MA-rated material after 8.30pm. The new code would have to be approved by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

The proposed new code would also absorb the existing AV adult violence classification - that is, program content that depicts violence in some detail , though neither prolonged nor unduly bloody or horrific - into the MA classification.

The proposed changes are a response to the new media landscape, it says, arguing that content is now available via multiple platforms, including pay TV and the internet, out of a time zone context and, in most cases, without restrictions in place. The proposal explains:

There are now a range of other options for managing viewing, including dedicated children's channels, ubiquitous availability of parental locks and information contained in electronic program guides

Free TV is now engaging in a six-week public consultation process after which the code must be submitted to the Australian Communications and Media Authority for registration. See further details at freetv.com.au

Luxembourg has responded to a European Commission reprimand for not implementing the media censorship required by the Audiovisual Media Services Directive.

The resulting draft law introduces a system of self-classification, requiring broadcasters established in Luxembourg to classify their programmes.

The Act sets out five categories of age groups:

• (I) no age distinction - programmes appropriate for all audiences;
• (II) programmes not suitable for minors under 10;
• (III) programmes not suitable for minors under 12;
• (IV) programmes not suitable for minors under 16; and
• (V) programmes not suitable for minors under 18.

Programmes of the first category are to be exempt from labelling. For the other categories, the obligatory identification is to take two forms: first, the form of pictograms referring to the respective age group in black letters on white ground and, second, the form of a warning stating not recommended for minors aged below 10/12/16/18 . Content of category II is to be made identifiable by the broadcasting of the corresponding pictogram and the respective warning for one minute at the beginning of the programme. Those of categories III and IV should be featured during the entire duration of the programme. In addition, the warning should appear for one minute at the beginning of the programme and when the programme resumes after an interruption (such as an advertising break). Pictograms and warnings will also have to be screened during a trailer for programmes of categories II, III and IV.

• Programmes susceptible to harming minors will have to be classified as being unsuitable for minors under 10.
• Programmes resorting to physical and psychological violence in a systematic and repeated manner will have to be considered unsuitable for minors under 12. These may not be broadcast in unencoded form between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.
• Programmes of erotic character or great violence will be regarded as harmful to minors under 16 and will only be allowed to be disseminated in unencoded form after 10 p.m. and before 6 a.m.
• For the fifth category of programmes, the draft regulation indicates that their dissemination is in principle legal. However, such content should be reserved for an adult audience due to its sexually explicit or highly violent character. Thus, such programmes shall in every case have to be encoded and, additionally, broadcast only between midnight and 5 a.m. Access shall only be granted to adults by way of a personal access code. The starting screen shall have to display a monochrome image on a blank screen and no sound in order to discourage providers from screening, for instance, sexually explicit stills and thereby attracting minors' attention.

In addition, the draft regulation contains a rule for broadcasters principally targeting the public of another EU Member State, while established in Luxembourg. As an exception, such broadcasters should be able to opt for the classification system applied in that particular Member State, provided that an equivalent level of protection is achieved.

Furthermore, providers of on-demand audiovisual media services will also be required to classify their programmes, with a choice between three systems:

• first, they may apply the labels as prescribed by Art. 1 of the draft regulation,
• second, they may maintain the classification obtained in the country of origin of the work or
• third, if the programme is directed to a public in another Member State, they may apply the corresponding system of that Member State.

Providers of non-linear services will be obliged to introduce parental control systems (about which users should be adequately informed), which would restrict access to programmes on the basis of a specific code.

Material not suitable for minors aged below 18 (category V) will have to be presented in a separate space and will only be allowed to be offered in return for remuneration (either upon subscription or as pay-per-view). Access to such content will have to be permanently blocked and will only be permitted to be accessible after insertion of a special access code, verification of which would take place each time the user returns to the service.

Major League Baseball
ESPN, 3 October 2014, 20:00

ESPN is a sports television channel broadcasting a combination of live sports events and sports related programming.

During live coverage of a baseball match in America, the commentators talked very briefly about the pitcher who kept looking at a batter at first base because the batter was attempting to steal base'. This involved the batter moving back-and-forth on first base in an ungainly manner to distract the pitcher. These movements prompted one of the commentators to say:

"He [the pitcher] might be just looking at him because he looks like such a spaz".

A viewer alerted Ofcom to the reference to "spaz" in the commentary, saying that it was an offensive term to describe someone with physical disabilities.

Ofcom considered Rule 2.3:

"In applying generally accepted standards broadcasters must ensure that material which may cause offence is justified by the context, Such material may include, but is not limited to, discriminatory treatment or language (for example on the grounds of...disability...)".

ESPN apologised for any offence caused. The Licensee however said that:

the use of this word in America is not seen as offensive as it is here. As a consequence, this presents UK broadcasters, especially in relation to the coverage of live sport, difficult challenges.

ESPN explained its live coverage of Major League Baseball is via an international feed from the US host broadcaster. The Licensee said that during a live programme, if offensive language is broadcast, the US commentator would immediately apologise . However, in this case, ESPN Limited said the:

US commentator didn't (and wouldn't) apologise because the word spaz in America is largely seen as inoffensive. The Licensee said this word is used [in the USA] to describe someone who is clumsy or un-coordinated and is generally linked with that person being excessively excited or hyperactive.

Ofcom Decision: Breach of rule 2.3

Ofcom acknowledged that ESPN is an established channel broadcasting American sporting events live. Ofcom understands that, in American slang, the term spaz is largely inoffensive. We noted the Licensee's argument that the US commentator was referring solely to the player's physical awkwardness rather than making a derogatory comment about disability. However, in our view, a UK audience, even one familiar with ESPN content, would not automatically have understood the different meaning of the word in the USA and it would therefore have been capable of causing considerable offence. Further, we considered that the fact that the word had been intended to refer to physical awkwardness increased the likelihood that viewers would have assumed that the reference was linked to disability.

ESPN operates under an Ofcom UK broadcasting licence. It must therefore adhere to generally accepted standards. The Licensee must take UK audience expectations into account when transmitting material broadcast live from America. As pointed out above, the word spaz can cause considerable offence to UK viewers and listeners, and we noted that no apology to viewers was broadcast in this case.

On balance, Ofcom's view was that the use of spaz in these particular circumstances was not justified by the context and Rule 2.3 was breached.

An episode of Peppa Pig has been banned from Australian TV after a complaint from a single viewer.

The controversial episode entitled Mister Skinnylegs featured a friendly spider of the same name. Daddy Pig is seen picking up the spider by its thread within the episode, gallantly informing his spouse: Don't be scared, Mummy.

The complainant contacted Australia's ABC network to say the episode was inappropriate for a Down Under audience because it said that spiders were not to be feared.

Australia has some of the most venomous spiders in the world and friendly spiders is perhaps not the best message for Australian children.

The network has already banned the episode from being broadcast again.

And if you were asking what about The Lion King, Tiger Tim and Yogi Bear...well maybe best not to go there.

The moralists of the Parents Television Council are up-in-arms about the jokes in an episode of Family Guy.

In the episode, Quagmire sleeps with what he believes to be a 23-year-old female who ends up actually being 15. A whole slew of situations occur up to the point where Quagmire ends up in court, and his mother gives the judge a fellatio in order to save her son from jail time.

The Hollywood Reporter got a hold of a statement from the Parents Television Council:

We believe that Family Guy 's description of this explicit sexual terminology violates the broadcast indecency law. And we believe that joking about statutory rape, as Family Guy did throughout this episode, exceeds contemporary community standards of decency for the broadcast medium. As such, we urge our members, as well as other Americans who agree that the broadcast was legally indecent, to file formal indecency complaints with the FCC.

Sexual assault is an increasingly troubling problem across America. Joking about child rape on TV shows and using such patently offensive sexual dialogue -- especially when they air at such an early hour and when they attract such a young viewing audience -- is a gross violation of a broadcast licensee's public interest obligation.

The BBC have responded to complaints about Phil Neville FA Cup punditry during the Arsenal vs brighton Tie.

As usual the BBC responds to complaints without actually detailing what was being complained about.

For the record, Neville said he would smash team-mates in training if he saw them perform a no look pass like Tomas Rosicky's during Arsenal's 3-2 FA Cup win over Brighton and Hove Albion:

If that was a training session and somebody did that, I'd be first over there and I'd probably look to two-foot him or take him out of the game. If somebody did that in training to me, winding me up, I would be straight in there. I'd smash them.'

The BBC responded on their website:

FA Cup Match of the Day, BBC One, 25 January 2015

Complaint

We received complaints from some viewers unhappy with the comments made by Phil Neville during the programme.

BBC Response

When analysing the playing style of Tomas Rosicky, Phil attempted a tongue-in-cheek comment. This comment was not meant to offend in any way, but on reflection, Phil acknowledges that the language he used was unfortunate.

That said, Mark Chapman did immediately challenge him and the tone of the discussion was light-hearted enough to suggest that the panel were not condoning any kind of violence or setting an example to a younger audience.

BBC Sport will, however, remind the team to take extra care during discussions during our live programmes.

The professional whinger Rajan Zed has claimed that a recent episode of Fox's supernatural TV show, Sleepy Hollow somehow distorted hindu concepts.

Zed described the Kali Yuga episode as highly inappropriate portrayal of Hindu goddess Kali and urged public apologies from all those responsible for it, including 21st Century Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch, Fox Television Group Chairman Gary Newman, and creators Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.

Zed said that goddess Kali was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be thrown around loosely in reimagined versions for dramatic effects in TV shows.

Free speech denier Zed claimed that Hindus were for free speech as much as anybody else if not more ...BUT... faith was something sacred and attempts at belittling it hurt the devotees. Zed further said no faith, larger or smaller, should be ridiculed at.

Christian moralist campaign group, One Million Moms spouts:

Parents are under the assumption that the Discovery Channel is safe and educational, but this is not true. The title of this program is a give-away, and with a TV-14 rating, you can be assured this is not a show for family viewing.

The show Naked And Afraid has cast members who are dropped in the jungle with no food, no shelter, and no clothes. The two humans selected, one male and one female, must work as a team but they have never met before in their lives. The program shows them stripped naked, blurring out frontal body parts but never blurring out their backsides. Even though the frontal body parts are blurred out, showing so much skin is considered soft porn. In cold temperatures, they must survive by using each other's body heat, pressing their bare bodies together to keep warm.

This decision to air a reality program full of nudity is harmful to the cast members and their families, and to all children and families that happen to view the show. This ultimate sexual exploitation of families is disturbing and inexcusable.

Discovery Channel has lost its moral compass and should be ashamed to air nudity and call it entertainment. This program needs to be canceled immediately. Previews and promos for this show air all throughout the day and on many other networks.

Turkey's TV censor has issued fines to two TV music channels for broadcasting videos that showed sexuality scenes, including one that featured a lesbian kiss.

The Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) fined Genk TV for airing Elliphant's 2014 One More music video.

The also whinged at Power TV for singer Pitbull's music video for Don't Stop the Party , for scenes of of passionate fondling of a woman's half naked body, as well as footage and gestures similar to pornography .

In justifying the fines, RTUK cited the bigoted remarks on homosexuality made by Cem Kece's, head of the Turkish Sexual Health Institute. Kece claims that homosexuality is a a defect and against human nature, and the result of parenting mistakes.

Sweden has been gripped by a little 'outrage' over a children's cartoon depicting prancing genitals.

The one-minute clip for Barnkanalen, Sweden's equivalent of CBeebies, shows cartoon penises and vaginas smiling and dancing to the tune of a song which employs words perhaps sometimes used by small children to refer to their private parts.

Here comes Willie at a run, he has no pants, goes the song. Twinkle is cool, you better believe it, even on an old lady, Willie and Twinkle, what a great gang!

The song's Facebook page includes 'outraged' comments by some parents who are offended that children of that age should be expected to talk about genitals.

The song was written and performed by Johan Holmstrom who said:

I feel sorry for those parents who get upset, this is a harmless music video.

The clip gained further notoriety when it was briefly classified by YouTube as adult content requiring viewers to confirm they are aged over 18, but the programme makers persuaded the company to relent.

There's been a bit of an online backlash in China over censors cutting all cleavage from scenes in a popular TV drama about China's only female emperor.

The drama, The Empress of China , also known as the Saga of Wu Zetian was pulled from the schedules of commercial satellite station Hunan TV for technical reasons late last month, Xinhua reported.

When it returned a few days later, the show, starring the famous Chinese actress Fan Bingbing in the title role of Wu Zetian had been conspicuously edited.

Scenes of female characters, with cleavage showing dressed in period costume, had been cropped out, leaving only close-ups of their heads.

The Global Times insisted that a system of control was necessary. it wrote in a propaganda piece: 

The reality is that censorship exists in many countries and it is unlikely to be reversed in China.

Changes to The Empress of China sparked fury among mainland internet users, who argued that censors had gone too far. An online survey released by the Sina Weibo microblogging service on Monday found that nearly 95% of respondents disapproved of the censorship of The Empress of China.

Some mainland bloggers, who renamed the drama The Saga of Wu's Squeezed Breasts , mocked the decision by censors. They circulated a series of edited pictures on social media, showing people how to highlight the head and hide the breasts when it comes to other characters.

The Global Times newspaper noted the defiance in an editorial:

While the censorship was largely done out of moral concerns, the resulting public outcry should serve as a warning for the future. While it is powerful, censorship lacks authority. In this sense, when using censorship, more considerations should be given to public opinion to garner support and avoid similar incidents.

About 400 viewers have complained after Rita Ora, the pop star, appeared on BBC One with a plunging neckline.

The singer, known for her I Will Never Let You Down song, wore a low-cut dress with a thigh-high split as she attended the launch of BBC talent show The Voice UK . However, her most daring outfit came later in the day when she appeared on The One Show in a white trouser suit with nothing underneath the blazer.

399 people complained to the BBC. On the BBC's Points of View message board, one whinged:

Isn't it about time the BBC had a dress code? I do not want to see her boobs hanging out on a family programme. I find it quite disgraceful.

And another prude wrote: I am no prude ...BUT... found it totally inappropriate.

The BBC responded on its website:

Complaint

We received complaints from some viewers unhappy with Rita Ora's choice of attire on The One Show.

Response

The One Show allows guests to choose their own attire and pop stars often opt for something glamorous or striking. The BBC doesn't feel that Rita's outfit would be outside of most viewers' expectations, but we appreciate that tastes vary.

A few Irish people are getting wound up over Channel 4 commissioning a comedy series on the Irish potato famine, a tragedy thought to have cost a million lives.

The sitcom, called Hungry , has been revealed by Dublin-based writer Hugh Travers, who told the Irish Times that we're kind of thinking of it as Shameless in famine Ireland.

Easily offended Dublin councillor David McGuinness claimed the show was intended to embarrass and denigrate one of the most painful periods in Irish history. He whinged:

Jewish people would never endorse making a comedy of the mass extermination of their ancestors at the hands of the Nazis, Cambodians would never support people laughing at what happened to their people at the hands of the Khmer Rouge and the people of Somalia, Ethiopia or Sudan would never accept the plight of their people, through generational famine, being the source of humour in Britain. I am not surprised that it is a British television outlet funding this venture.

Diall O'Dowd, of the Irish-American site Irish Central blog, ludicrously asked: How about a comedy about Ebola with black kids dying on screen and doctors telling funny jokes about them?

Channel 4 said:

We have commissioned a script set in 19th century Ireland by Dublin-based writer Hugh Travers and Irish-based production company Grand Pictures - however this is in the development process and is not currently planned to air.

Pakistan has complained that the American TV drama Homeland , which was based on the Israeli show Hatufim (Hostages) , depicted their country as a grimy hellhole .

A Pakistani source cited by the New York Post condemned the portrayal of Islamabad as a war zone where shootouts and bombs go off... nothing is further from the truth, describing the capital instead as a quiet, picturesque city with beautiful mountains.

Officials also took issue with a plotline that insinuated that Pakistani security officials harbor terrorists, which they called an insult to the ultimate sacrifices of the thousands of Pakistani security personnel, and also with the Urdu dialect spoken on the show. The accent is far from the local accent, a source said.