• Ad Age, Thursday, November 10, 2005 2:09 PM

In its latest study on sexual content on American television, the Kaiser Family Foundation yesterday reported that the number of sex-related scenes has risen sharply since 1998. Some 70 percent of the shows include some sexual content, according to Kaiser. The study (which excluded news, sports, and children's TV) noted that, on average, there are five sexual scenes televised every hour, compared to just 3.2 seven years ago. Reacting to the study, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who spoke at the Kaiser event yesterday, said, "We need to make clear that the free use of the public airwaves continues to come with certain obligations... to reflect not the basest elements of of American culture but the profound and the proud." According to AdAge.com, Sen. Obama, a Democrat elected to his seat a year ago, told broadcasters that their industry needs to curb the rising tide of sexual content or, if necessary, Congress will seek to do so.

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