Facibus Reviews

I’m no big fan of Big Brother - although I have watched it in the past.

Senator Helen Coonan, Minister for Communication, Information Technology and the Arts released a set of guidelines for reality TV on Friday 24 August. The key recommendations are:

Recommendation 1 : That a clause be included in the Code that prohibits the broadcast of material presenting participants in reality television programs in a highly demeaning or exploitative manner. This provision should be supported by an advisory note to the Code that provides guidance to program producers on the interpretation of this provision.

Recommendation 2 :That the complaints handling procedures in the Code be enhanced to expedite the process for handling complaints, and increase viewers’ awareness of the process as follows:

• licensees accept electronic complaints via their website, and take steps to promote this process;
• a licensee is to report to ACMA within three days of observing any significant spikes in viewer complaints about a Code matter regarding a particular reality television program, to alert ACMA, as the regulator, to emerging issues of concern; and
• Free TV Australia Limited (Free TV) to provide ACMA with a monthly report on Code complaints, containing sufficient detail to enable ACMA to analyse complaints trends on an ongoing and timely basis.

Recommendation 3 : That the Television Classification Guidelines for MA-classified material set out in Appendix 4 of the Code be amended to clarify the limit of material permitted at the MA classification level, by:

• including specific advice in relation to ‘sexual references’ at the MA level; and
• including ‘cumulative intensity’ as an element to be considered in classifying material at the MA level.

In addition to these recommendations, ACMA proposes to undertake the following actions, which include:

• undertake analysis of the additional complaints data supplied by Free TV in accordance with Recommendation 2, monitor complaints trends for both reality television and other forms of programming and publish information on these trends periodically.
• if a commercial television licensee plans to broadcast an MA-classified reality television program, seek voluntary undertakings (similar to those given to ACMA by Network Ten for the 2006 series of Big Brother Adults Only) in relation to that program. ACMA would monitor the broadcast of such a program, including the adoption as part of the undertakings of a streamlined investigations process to enable timely consideration of any issues arising from the program.

I have to wonder if this is more about election-driven favors for those who prefer their TV without ’shower scenes’ than protecting Australians from being demeaned. We’ve had a whole year to think about the misdemeanors of the 2006 season - why now, with an election in the wind? Is it because what amounted to criminal sexual assault took place on the show, and three or four hundred people saw it? Or is it because there are significant voter minorities in key seats who do not want nudity and frank discussion of sexual behaviour on mainstream TV?

To be fair, I grant that the current Government will have this criticism leveled at every single initiative that they take at this charged time.