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Multinational Corporations Promote Toxic
Media Pollution in Australia
July 2007
Media Release: Australian
Federation for the Family
Millions are being spent by KFC/Pizza Hut,
3Mobile and Starburst (a division of the
US giant Mars food conglomerate) to sponsor
Channel 10's Big Brother program.
According
to The Australian of 26 April 2007, TV's
most popular website portal, with up to
1.5 million users per month, is now set
to broadcast "video, nude shower photographs
and stories not suitable for under-15s."
The Big Brother TV show, Internet streaming
and mobile phone broadcasting are all sponsored
by KFC (www.yum.com, yet another US company
which also owns Pizza Hut), 3mobile (mobile
phone company which redirects all phonecalls
to India) and Starburst (a division of Mars).
These
companies, according to The Australian,
have paid millions of dollars to reach an
audience "across TV, mobile phones and the
internet."
Last
year, writing from Canberra in the Tasmanian
Mercury (4 July 2006), Laura Anderson quotes
Prime Minister John Howard as saying, "Get
this stupid program off the air." Kim Beazley
says, "I don't like seeing young women treated
that way." Trish Draper MP says, "Time for
Big Brother to go."
We
at AFF agree with the Prime Minister and
thinking political leaders (if that's not
a contradiction in terms) that Big Brother
should be taken off the air, not rewarded
with millions of dollars in corporate sponsorship.
We
also understand that the Beattie ALP Govt
in Queensland is also supporting Big Brother
with his state's tax dollars. Queenslanders
can let Mr Beattie know how they feel about
their tax dollars being used to broadcast
"nude shower photographs" by going to our
Click and Lobby page and clicking on Queensland.
You can then email the Premier directly
from this website.
Companies
marketing a family image and seeking the
family dollar such as American companies
KFC/Pizza Hut and Starburst/Masterfoods/Mars
should be held to account by the families
of Australia. They are not promoting filth
in the USA (or India!), but apparently it's
OK to contribute to the decline of standards
in Australia.
The
following companies that sponsor this program
- any and all of their products - will be
boycotted by us at AFF as long as they continue
to act in a manner that is not helping Australian
families.
We
have asked for a full list of products marketed
by Mars, the products marketed by 3mobile
and the products marketed by KFC/Pizza Hut.
That way we can know fully well which products
or services to boycott. You can ask them
for the same list.
AFF
would like to include the name of someone
responsible from Mars Confectionery of Australia
but were told they have a policy of not
telling anyone the names of their board
members or CEO! They would also not give
us an email address. If you know anyone
that works for them, please ask and let
us know.
If
you are concerned please contact the following
sponsors of Big Brother's website:
Starburst: Mars Confectionery of Australia;
PO Box 633,
Ballarat
VIC 3353,
Ph: 03 5337 7000
Fax: 03 5337 7096
(Masterfoods brand is a division of Mars;
they have lots of products that we can boycott)
3mobile:
FOK Kin-ning, Canning, Chairman;
Hutchison Telecommunications (Australia)
Limited;
PO Box 388;
St Leonards
NSW 1590
Ph: 02 9964 4646
Fax: 02 9964 4668
customercare@three.com.au
KFC:
Roger Eaton,
Senior Vice President;
Locked Bag 522;
Frenchs Forest
NSW 2086
Ph 02 9930 3000
Fax: 02 9930 3001
customer.service.hotline@yum.com
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