11. 03. 2008

VOJVODINA OMBUDSMAN WARNS AGAINST BROADCASTS PROMOTING VIOLENCE

Novi Sad, March 11, 2008 (Politika/Beta) – Vojvodina ombudsman, Petar Teofilovic, has announced that children's rights are violated by broadcasts depicting violent behaviour.

He warned the authorities about the violation of the rights of children who are exposed to violent behaviour in shows like "American Wrestling" aired on the Fox TV. "Although viewers are advised not to perform similar acrobatics, it was noticed that schoolchildren imitate wrestling grips and strangleholds shown in these programme", states the regional ombudsman.

He reminded that mandatory guidelines on the conduct of broadcasters, adopted by the Republic Broadcasting Agency on the basis of the Broadcasting Law, clearly specify obligations of all broadcasters.

"Apart from the obligation to announce or label the shows which may be detrimental to children and youth, broadcasters are not allowed to broadcast content which is harmful in pedagogical, educational, health or hygienical sense, nor the content which provokes violence", reads the ombudsman's statement.

Teofilovic appealed to broadcasters airing such content to comply with the mandatory guidelines on the conduct of broadcasters, or to air such content in the period between midnight and 6.00, at the time when children and youth were not supposed to watch TV programme.

The regional ombudsman has also delivered official notifications to the Republic Broadcasting Agency, media outlets broadcasting such content, and the Republic Council for the Rights of the Child.

Last week, the Council of the Republic Broadcasting Agency decided to ask Fox TV representatives to give an explanation regarding the show "American Wrestling".