Video News Releases Could Be Bad For Families As Well
The Federal Communications Commission is investigating dozens of TV stations that used "video news releases" on local newscasts without disclosing which companies are backing these efforts.
Companies from General Motors, Intel, Pfizer and others were involved in these VNRs, as they are called. Station groups that aired VNRs, without disclosure, include Sinclair Broadcast Group, Tribune Co., CBS and News Corp.'s Fox.
Lobbyists and publicly minded entities have long targeted this issue--but we don't seem to hear from the conservative-minded TV pressure groups on this subject. You know, the ones that go after events such as Janet Jackson's revealing her breast, or prime-time shows deemed inappropriate for children, or Bono shouting a profane remark.
The message sent is this: sex and nudity and certain kinds of language are inappropriate on fictional shows--specifically prime-time shows. But apparently sex-laden news stories are quite okay in the real world--and, no less, aired in time periods that happen even earlier in the day, when kids are home.
You also wonder why few TV pressure family groups don't go after the daytime soaps or even the subject matter on Jerry Springer or Maury Povich. Not all kids are in school for the entire afternoon.
Maybe it's all about necessary commerce and advertising. The viewers and other backers of these pressure groups really need to see all those consumer product commercials from Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and Johnson & Johnson running at full strength.
News, of course, is boring. Soaps can be boring as well. Better to attack a show like "Without a Trace" or anything on MTV. Latch onto those bigger, sexier brands to make your case and make the best headlines.
If indecency is the big issue here--how about setting an example to kids that being deceived by TV might also be indecent?
WAYNE FRIEDMAN
Wayne Friedman is West Coast Editor of MediaPost.
Recent TV Watch Articles
-
Media Execs Re. $1 Bil NewFront Estimates: What Are They Smoking? May 23, 12:51 p.m.
Wild upfront digital video estimates postured that many platforms/sites could get $1 billion in upfront money ...
-
TV Distributors Looking For More Programming Control, Possibly With Some Big-Media Approval May 21, 9:56 p.m.
DirecTV and Time Warner Cable are two traditional TV programming distributors kicking the tires at Hulu. ...
-
When News Twists In The Wind, TV Show Up Faster & With More Detail May 21, 12:24 a.m.
Seemingly minutes after a massive tornado hit, an MSNBC news image showed a speedboat sitting on ...
-
Big TV Broadcast Development for 2013-2014: But Where Is The New Reality? May 17, 9:37 a.m.
Good news for those who still believe in broadcast network television: There some 52 new shows ...
-
2013 TV Upfront Conclusion: Harder For Viewers To Avoid Commercials May 16, 7:40 a.m.
TV commercial overload: It's not over yet.While the TV industry works out its online and digital ...
-
Where Do TV Broadcast Networks Fit In A La Carte Programming? May 15, 9:58 a.m.
It may be no coincidence that Sen. John McCain's bill to revamp most of the modern ...
-
Will You Fail TV's test... Or Will TV Fail You? May 14, 9:56 a.m.
Take a TV test. TV networks still believe your positive results are crucial for their fall ...
-
Upfront Nerves: Digital Executives On Edge. TV Executives? Calm Before The Storm May 13, 1:57 p.m.
Pre-upfront time media executive nerves are on edge.Senior media agency executives are telling major digital video ...
-
Can Cable Or Digital Content Networks Provide Relief For TV's 'Failure Tax'? May 10, 4:41 p.m.
Failure tax? Is that what marketers continue to pay to TV broadcasters? Yes, according to Mel ...
-
McCain Bill Would Upset The TV System -- In Theory May 9, 11:01 a.m.
If Sen. John McCain has his way, the whole broadcast/cable eco-system will be turned upside real ...
Be the first to comment on "Video News Releases Could Be Bad For Families As Well"
Leave a Comment