CASE NUMBER: 47/2005 – PETERSEN VS ELECTRONIC MEDIA NETWORK – CHILDREN

Complaint of offensiveness lodged against Respondent about Carte Blanche programme in which the first woman editor of Afrikaans pornographic magazine, “Loslyf”, is being interviewed, with visuals of exotic dancing and breast nakedness. Also complaint that programme is not in the public interest, and that it is harmful to children because of the timeslot in which it was broadcast.  The sexual acts and nudity were found not to be explicit or gratuitous but merely forming background to interviews.  It was also found that the programme was in the public interest because of the unique nature of the magazine and the interviewee being the first woman editor of the magazine.  As to the complaint that the programme was harmful to children, it was found that there were ample warnings to parents on the nature of the programme and that the programme was in any case not directed at children.  No contravention of the Code was found and the complaint was not upheld.