[CS-FSLUG] New PTC Study Finds MTV Blatantly Selling Smut to Children

[Fred A. Miller]

Parents Television Council E-Alert for Feb. 1, 2005 

New PTC Study Finds MTV Blatantly Selling Smut to Children

The Parents Television Council (PTC) released a new study, "MTV Smut Peddlers: 
Targeting Kids with Sex, Drugs and Alcohol," today at a press conference on 
Capitol Hill which found that MTV programming contains staggering levels of 
sex and foul language - far higher than anything found on adult-targeted 
television.

"MTV is blatantly selling raunchy sex to kids.  Compared to broadcast 
television programs aimed at adults, MTV's programming contains substantially 
more sex, foul language and violence - and MTV's shows are aimed at children 
as young as 12.  There's no question that TV influences the attitudes and 
perceptions of young viewers, and MTV is deliberately marketing its raunch to 
millions of innocent children," said L. Brent Bozell, president of the PTC.

MTV is watched by 73% of boys and 78% of girls ages 12 to 19, and it is 
profoundly influential in the lives of its young fans by glamorizing drug and 
alcohol use, sexual promiscuity and violent behavior.  MTV is owned by 
Viacom, the same corporate giant that owns CBS (the network that aired the 
2004 Super Bowl at which Janet Jackson deliberately exposed her breast to a 
world-wide audience that included millions of unsuspecting children) and 
Nickelodeon. That corporate synergy ensures that even the youngest TV viewers 
are getting acclimated to the MTV brand.

The PTC recorded and analyzed 171 hours of programming around the clock during 
the week of March 20, 2004, to March 27, 2004, during MTV's "Spring Break" 
coverage.  MTV's reality programs averaged 13 sexual scenes per hour, while 
music videos on MTV averaged 32 instances of foul language per hour. "The 
incessant sleaze on MTV presents the most compelling case yet for consumer 
cable choice.  MTV is a subsidized network.  As it now stands, parents have 
no choice but to take - and pay for - MTV if they want basic cable in their 
homes.  Given a choice, how many parents now being forced to take and pay for 
MTV as part of a basic cable package, would continue to do so?" asked Bozell.

Major Findings:

- In 171 hours of MTV programming, PTC analysts found a staggering 1,548 
sexual scenes containing 3,056 depictions of sex or various forms of nudity 
and 2,881 verbal sexual references.  Children watching MTV are viewing an 
average of 9 sexual scenes per hour with approximately 18 sexual depictions 
and 17 instances of sexual dialogue or innuendo.  To put this in perspective, 
consider that in its last study of sex on primetime network television, the 
PTC found an average of only 5.8 instances of sexual content during the 10 
o'clock hour - when mostly adults are watching. 

- Analysts recorded 1,518 uses of unedited foul language and an additional 
3,127 bleeped profanities on MTV programming.  Young children watching MTV 
are subjected to roughly 8.9 un-bleeped profanities per hour, and an 
additional 18.3 bleeped profanities per hour.  By contrast, the 10 o'clock 
hour on the broadcast networks averaged only 6.5 uses of foul language per 
hour, according to the PTC's latest research.

- Violence was least problematic but still high at 6 instances per hour of 
programming (1,068 violent incidents total).  Comparatively, the broadcast 
networks averaged only 5.8 instances of violence per hour during the 10 
o'clock timeslot.
 
- Music videos contained more foul language and violence than MTV's series or 
specials.  In the 109 hours of music video programming contained within the 
study period, analysts recorded 3,483 uses of foul language (32 instances per 
hour).  Violence occurred in music videos at a rate of 8.6 instances per hour 
(935 violent scenes). 

- MTV's reality shows had more sexual content than the music videos.  In 66 
hours of reality programming, PTC analysts recorded 833 segments containing 
sexual content, or 12.6 scenes per hour. Within those 833 segments, there 
were 905 visual depictions of sexual activity and 917 verbal references.

- On a per-program basis, the MTV special Spring Break Fantasies had the 
highest sexual content, with 32 sexual segments per hour of programming.

Read the Full Report (WARNING: STUDY CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT)
http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/mtv2005/main.asp

Statement by L. Brent Bozell
http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/release/2005/MTVStatement_Bozell.asp

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