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Today Tonight tops viewer complaints

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Today Tonight leads the list in written viewer complaints in the year July 06 – June 07.

There were 83 complaints against Seven’s current affairs show, mostly concerning “perceived bias and/or inaccuracy in reporting, material considered to be inappropriate for the time zone and perceived discrimination in reporting,” says Free TV Australia.

Seven and TEN topped the complaints list.

There were by 51 complaints for Australian Idol’s “perceived discrimination, sexual references and language considered to be inappropriate.” It was followed by The Ronnie Johns’ Half Hour (45) for perceived discrimination, sexual references and language considered to be inappropriate, New Years Eve 2006 (39) over sexual references, The Biggest Loser (21) language considered to be inappropriate. Seven also received complaints over Sunrise (21) for content considered to be offensive, perceived discrimination and language considered inappropriate.

There was a total of 914 written Code complaints during the period 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007, 17% less complaints than the 1109 complaints in the previous year.

“These figures very clearly demonstrate that the Code is working well,” said David Leckie, Chairman of Free TV Australia. “Only 914 complaints over a 12 month period is a very small number when one considers there are 55 commercial television stations around the country broadcasting all day every day of the year. A 17 per cent decrease in complaints compared to the previous year, is a great achievement.”

Most complaints were aimed at current affairs, comedy, reality, drama, and program promotions.

The largest number of complaints (65.6%) related to the classification of program items, followed by discrimination (14.6%) in a range of program genres including reality, comedy, current affairs, light entertainment and variety. The third most common category related to bias and inaccuracy (7.0%) in news and current affairs programs.

Upheld complaints agreed to by networks included:

* Coarse language in Video Hits (Network Ten).
* A ‘Wild SMS’ commercial which was aired during the movie Annie (Seven Network).
* A program promotion for The Ronnie Johns Half Hour (Network Ten).
* A Sex-Line commercial which was aired during the V8 Supercars (Southern Cross).
* An advertisement for the Advanced Medical Institute (erectile problems) (Southern Cross)
* Coarse language used during a live interview after the AFL Grand Final (Network Ten).
* An advertisement for the ‘Premix King’ Commercial which was aired during an AFL Football game (Southern Cross).
* An advertisement for ‘Puppetry of the Penis’ commercial which was aired during Australian Idol (Southern Cross).
* Inaccurate reporting of an item within the TEN Late Night News program.

Source: Free TV Australia

7 Responses

  1. The only reason people watch this stupid program is nothing else is on. The only thing they keep saying is “Only on Entertainment Tonight”…got news for them…better is you quit being so boring…I personally hate the show..hate hate hate.

  2. I am so disappointed with Entertainment Tonight’s type of stories that are covered. If you aren’t supporting mainstreaming porno stars on their version of Gilligan’s Island, then you’re being a step above the National Inquirer exploiting the destructive behavior of disturbed celebrities. Brittany Spears, Anna Nicole, the election which in my opinion, no candidate should have belittled themselves to talk with you, are all examples of horrible judgement! You still may be a popular show, but trust me when I tell you, you are not respected as well as you used to be! Do us all a favor and stay fake and a sell out to the craft by staying in Hollywood covering those much like yourselves! Disturbed!

  3. I love how David Leckie, the very person defending the code and saying it is working is the same man that is basically in charge of TT, the program that is breaking the code the most…… Now that is what i call bias!!!!

  4. Hmm… it seems pretty much all of the high complaint TV shows are from people who can’t take a bit of langauge or sexual innuendo EXCEPT for Today Tonight, for bias and innacuracy. And not even that, but TT tops the list. For a programme that “prides” itself on being a “current affairs show”, something needs to be done.

  6. What about those late night televangelists that air at 1am and tell people they hope the world ends soon ! Quite hateful, yet they seem to be increasing in numbers on all networks.

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