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ACMA investigates after more than 40 firms say no to Californication
Festival of Light, Australia
Media Release:
9th October 2007
Dear Friends,
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has informed Festival of Light Australia that it will investigate complaints about Network Ten’s Californication programs. The announcement came after more than 40 companies, including Holden, Arnotts, Ikea, Spotlight, Nestle, Cash Converters, Woolworths and BankSA, said they have asked the network not to show any more of their ads during the controversial series.
Festival of Light Australia spokesman Roslyn Phillips said: “We and other groups are delighted that over 40 companies have responded positively to concerns expressed by parents across Australia about this sleazy, highly offensive program. Network Ten has dismissed parents’ complaints, but these businesses have recognised that you can’t promote products to families while subsidising programs that undermine family values and threaten children’s wellbeing.
“Californication has an implausible story line which appears to be an excuse to screen a string of explicit, offensive scenes - including a Catholic nun offering sex in a church, a man having sex with a 16 year old girl, sado-masochism, wall-to-wall foul language and promiscuity with full-frontal nudity,” Mrs Phillips said. “The program is said to be satirical – but it is heavily promoted during family viewing time slots, and any satire has gone over the heads of many teens who have subsequently watched it. The network has deeply hurt many devout Catholics and other Christians by its portrayal of nuns and priests in sexual activity – something it would never dream of doing to devout Muslims.
“Parents are tired of being told by television executives just to ‘turn it off’. They do turn it off – but that does not help their children! Their kids are being exposed at school to blow-by-blow accounts of Californication - foul language included - from peers whose parents are more permissive,” Mrs Phillips said. “It is like a ‘second-hand smoke’ effect.
“We have laws against smoking in a public place because of smoking’s potential to harm those who do not smoke,” Mrs Phillips said. “Similarly, anti-social and deliberately offensive programs like Californication have no place in free-to-air television - which is like a public place because it is beamed into homes across the country.
“Californication would never be allowed to screen on free-to-air television in the United States, where it is shown only on opt-in cable TV at 10.30 pm. Free-to-air television licensees like Network Ten need to recognise that this privilege entails social responsibility.
“We believe that Californication violates the MA rating. We welcome the decision by the Australian Communications and Media Authority to investigate, but ACMA has said the process may take several months. In the meantime, the damage has been done.
“So we congratulate Holden and the many other major companies for sending Network Ten a message it may understand.”
For further comment, contact: Mrs Roslyn Phillips, National Research Officer, Festival of Light Australia – phone 1300 365 965 (office); (08) 8264 5398 (home); email rhp@fol.org.au.
Mrs Roslyn Phillips, B Sc Dip Ed
Research Officer, Festival of Light Australia
4th Floor, 68 Grenfell Street,
Adelaide SA 5000
Phone 61 8 8223 6383
Fax 61 8
8223 5850
Email rhp@fol.org.au
Website www.fol.org.au
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