Opinions - Jacqui Smith targets drunks on TV shows (UK)

[Lunar Loops]

Now the government (UK) has stated that it does propose to introduce any legislation, but intends to "shame" TV companies into taking programmes off air. Most of the types of shows she is referring to are lowest common denominator TV, but where does that end? Do you aim to take comedy programmes off air whose main characters are 'loveable rogue' type alcoholics (as in Rab C Nesbitt)? Can't see the TV companies in question being 'shamed' into any action anyway. Freedom of speech/expression? This is a grey area that opens up all sorts of wormy cans.

Anyway, this from The Telegraph (UK):
Jacqui Smith targets drunks on TV shows

By Toby Helm, Chief Political Correspondent

Last Updated: 1:50am BST 28/09/2007

Television programmes that glorify drunkenness will be branded unacceptable as part of a "zero-tolerance" approach to anti-social behaviour, Jacqui Smith has announced.
The Home Secretary began a campaign to shame television companies into taking the programmes off-air, saying they encourage alcohol misuse.
"Alcohol misuse can cause real damage to people," she told the Labour conference. "And incidentally, why celebrate drunken behaviour on our television screens?"
Her aides made clear that there were no plans to legislate or regulate, with the aim being to shame programme makers into realising that they were damaging young people's lives.
Ibiza Uncovered, which is shown on Sky television, follows the drinking and other antics of young people on holiday and Booze Britain, which is produced by Granada and shown on Bravo, follows groups of mainly young people "on the town".
In 2003, the charity Alcohol Concern warned that soap characters were seen drinking too often in television pubs. It said scenes on television involving drinking had almost doubled since the 1980s.
Miss Smith took issue with David Cameron for his claim that Britain had a "broken society" with "anarchy" on the streets. The reality, she said, was that violent crime was at its lowest for a decade and police numbers were at a record high.
However, she acknowledged that anti-social behaviour was a blight on modern society.
Adapting Tony Blair's "tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime" mantra, she said: "I've zero tolerance of anti-social behaviour and zero tolerance of its causes."

Reputation Comments on this post:

Thanks for bringing this artical

[brewlabboffin]

I love the way poititions say so much whist doing nothing.
Violent crime is low, so we're doing a good job, antisocial behaviour is bad, so we'll shame tv production companies into a position a moral decency!
What on earth!
TV companies make the most easily produced watchable, marketable tv. Why would they be shamed? The bottom line will guide them.
I think Jacqui is in the business of producing easily marketable sound-bites.

[flipthecandy]

stop trying to change people!!! let them make their own decisions!!!!

[Nature Boy]

They want to ban Booze Britain? The narration of the entire shows constantly warns about the dangers of excessive alcohol abuse and doesn't glorify the idiots they have on it at all. You usually end up seeing a bunch of fools stumbling around puking all over the place, a perfect way to put people off drinking heavily.