CASE NUMBER: 48/2004 – ROOME VS M-NET – CHILDREN

A promotion for a horror festival was inadvertently broadcast when a large number of children were likely to be in the audience. This Tribunal agrees with M-Net that the broadcast of the promo just before the start of a children’s programme was unacceptable   The promotion is understandably intended to be frightening, but then it should have been screened after the watershed for subscription broadcasters: at 20:00 and later. Since the watershed operates on a sliding scale, we agree with the Respondent that 21:00 and later would have been justified for the broadcast. We have no doubt that a very large number of younger children were in the audience at that time of the day. Clause 18.1 was, accordingly, transgressed.  A fine of R15 000 is imposed.