KAISER SURVEY SEES CONTINUING INCREASE IN SEXUAL CONTENT ON TV
LOS ANGELES -- Survey on sex on TV by Kaiser Foundation found that amount of sexual content on TV had risen 12% since 1997-1998 season. Study said average show had more than 4 scenes with sexual content per hour. Prime-time programming had highest levels of sexual content with 75% of shows, up from 68% in 1997- 1998, study said. Good news, if there was any, was that only 27% of shows on TV included sexual behavior, with rest having characters talking about sex.
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In news conference here Tues. to discuss survey, Sex on TV 2: Content and Context, Kaiser Family Foundation Vp Victoria Rideout said only 10% of shows included safe sex messages. “Every time there is sex on TV, there is an opportunity to deliver useful information to young people,” she said. “While some shows are taking advantage of that, 9 out of 10 are not.” Among programming genres, movies were most likely to contain sexual content, at 89%, followed by situation comedies (84%), soap operas (80%), news magazines (74%), dramas (69%), talk shows (67%), reality shows (27%).
Study said 50% of characters involved in sex on TV had established romantic relationship, while 10% had just met. Despite concerns that TV shows were focusing on youth sex, 68% of characters involved in sex on screen were 25 or older, 23% were 18-24 and 9% were under 18.
Key is to strike proper balance and not be seen as only lecturing rather than entertaining, Fox Vp-Bcst. Standards & Practices Roland McFarland said in panel discussion following release. But he said: “It’s very difficult to hold an audience when you're trying to do a show with strong positive messages,” citing recently canceled Get Real. TV writers on panel said they often tried to deliver responsible messages, but said trying to work issues such as contraception and sexually transmitted diseases into plot lines wasn’t easy.
Disappearance of 8-9 p.m. family viewing hour was bemoaned by Robert Wehling, Procter & Gamble (P&G) Global Mktg. Officer. He said shows with sexual content should be aired later at night and disputed notion that company felt pressure from any special interests, saying P&G simply wanted its commercials aired in positive environment, something he said that was becoming more difficult in recent years. Wehling also issued somewhat of warning to TV networks, saying P&G and other major advertisers “have so may more options for reaching an audience than just TV. There’s the Internet and there’s magazines.”