Close Up Porn Programme Draws Huge Complaints

Close Up Porn Programme Draws Huge Complaints

Family First says that TVNZ has been inundated with complaints about a recent Close Up programme which offended many families with its promotion of the porn industry, and believes that the complaints have exceeded complaints made about Paul Henry’s ‘moustache’ comments which also drew a record number of complaints.

“TVNZ reached an all-time low last week with a Close Up story based around the promotion of the porn industry - all under the guise of so-called 'daily news and current events’,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “Many families expressed their concern to us, and we encouraged them to pass on their concerns to TVNZ.”

“Close Up says ‘No-one gets you closer’ and on this particular programme, no-one got you closer to pornography and explicit images on a mainstream channel during the farcically-named 'family viewing hours'.”

“Parents are sick and tired of lunging for the remote to protect children from offensive and inappropriate content during family viewing hours. The tv channels are having a race to the bottom of the standards of decency, and now they’re trying to mask it as news and current events.”

“TVNZ will attempt to argue that they warned viewers, but most viewers would have thought the warning related to the subject matter and not the images that were about to confront them.”

Family First believes that the Broadcasting Standards Authority will have received a number of complaints as well although they have little confidence in the Authority moving to protect families.

Family First has also written to both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Broadcasting demanding a clean-up of government funded broadcasting.

Images from the programme can be viewed here http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/close_up

ENDS

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