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Holy Smoke! QTQ9 breaches Code.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has found that QTQ9 Brisbane breached the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice by failing to modify the film Holy Smoke, to ensure its suitability to be broadcast in an M time zone.

The Jane Campion film was screened at 12 midday on July 23 last year.

ACMA deemed the film, classified M, contained sexual material that exceeded the M classification.

The guidelines state that the impact M rated films must be no higher than moderate. Sexual activity be discreetly implied, if justified by context.

ACMA found that intimate sexual activity depicted in the film was not discreetly implied.

QTQ acknowledged that the film included a scene that did not meet the M guidelines, due to an error in editing and compiling the program for broadcast.

Although ACMA expects broadcasters to have “sophisticated technological environment for program editing and compilation” QTQ advised it that the Nine Network has put procedures in place to ensure that such an error can not be repeated.

No word if a slap across the wrist was also dished out….ACMA again shows it isn’t prepared to do little more than accept network explanations.

Source: ACMA

2 Responses

  1. Hi David,

    I think you’re being harsh on ACMA. ACMA found there was one 20 second scene that exceeded the M rating. That’s it. I think QTQ been penalised enough.

    (And ACMA is correct on that assessment as Holy Smoke was classified MA15+ on the basis on one sexual scene and adult themes).

    Frankly, I think people who lodge these complaints should have better things to do.

  2. Funniest classification mixup? The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy DVD set is rated G. Sure, the show itself is pretty harmless, but the bonus disc with all the mistakes is full of nasty words that you’d never hear in a Disney movie. I bet by now it’s all bleeped.

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