Dear Hans

As Nola Marino MP is currently in Canberra as Parliament is sitting this week, she has asked me to respond on her behalf.  I have been advised that the steps to lodge your complaint are as follows.

        1.      Write to the station that aired the advertisement .  The station has 60 days to respond.
        2.      If the station does not respond to the complaint, than the complaint can be forwarded to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

        3.      If the complaint is determined to be one that the ACMA will handle, then the ACMA will consider the information provided and then offer the offending station the opportunity to reply.  Comments from the stations can take up to three months and often take longer.

        4.      Once the ACMA has all the information, the complaint is assessed against the Code of Practice. It is common to not receive any advice or report from the ACMA until five or six months after the complaint has been lodged.

You may be interested to know that the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Communities is currently calling for an inquiry into the slipping standards on radio and television. 

I trust this information has been of assistance.  Please provide your address and contact telephone number if you would like Nola to pursue this further.

Kind regards

Dean Kerr
Research Officer
Office of Nola Marino MP
Federal Member for Forrest
<<Kerr, Dean (N. Marino, MP).vcf>>

-----Original Message-----
From: stephens1510 [mailto:stephens1510@optusnet.com.au]
Sent: Thursday, 20 March 2008 2:57 PM
To: Kerr, Dean (N. Marino, MP)
Subject: Re: Inappropriate Advertising

  

Hi Dean,

             thanks for your reply.

The reason I didn't go to the radio station, then the Advertising Standards  is explained for me in one email from a ministers staffer

 

Hello Hans

 

I understand the various advertising techniques by this company have previously been through the official complaints processes and survived.  With the recent change of Minister it might be opportune for us to write and suggest a revision of the advertising standard that applies to this type of product.

 

Julie

 

As you can see complaining the "right way" hasn't worked so I went straight to the people we elect  to make, or get the rules amended. 

 

There has to be an advertising code of practice that obliges radio to only play obviously adult advertising at child friendly times .(After 9.30pm)

 

"Lasting longer in the bedroom" and "premature ejaculation" is not really youngster material. 

 

II thought if a request by say 75% of the 100% of ministers I emailed concerning this sort of advertising, to the head of the ASB politely asking for a revision of the standard, something would be done. 

 

But the number of "not my portfolio" and "Are you in the ministers electorate?" type of replies have left me a little cynical.

I naively thought that the welfare of children are part every politician's portfolio

I know our Federal Ministers are very busy, but I can see that they do care for their youngest constituents, by all the photos on websites of them spending a lot of time patting the heads of children and kissing babies,  and therefore would find a spare minute to send a simple email to the right person will help kids stay kids, a little longer.

 

I spoke to a couple in their 80's yesterday about those ads and they are dismayed at what is allowed on Radio and TV.

That cooking show with all the "f " words is another example where censorship is sadly amiss.

 

I'm in the process of setting up a website about this whole business and the result of my "Poll"  regarding help (or lack there of) from our elected leaders and as I voted Liberal,  I would really love a good showing from  the LP side of the chamber.

 

Regards

Hans Stephens

  

----- Original Message -----

From: Kerr, Dean (N. Marino, MP)

To: stephens1510

Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 10:45 AM

Subject: RE: Inappropriate Advertising

Hello Hans

 

Unfortunately an email by every member in federal parliament to the ASB demanding instant change would not make any difference in this case.  The only way that advertising standards can be adjusted is through legislation, which must go through Parliament.  Fortunately we can all rally behind Senator Cory Bernardi, the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Communities who is also appalled at the current standards of language and material on television and radio.  He has introduced a motion for an inquiry into the effectiveness of the broadcasting Code of Pratice.

 

As the Coalition's Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Communities, all members in the Liberal party are behind his call.  The onus currently rests on Labour taking up the call and acting on the concerns of constituents like yourself.  I would recommend an e-mail to the Minister for Families and Communities, the Hon Jenny Macklin MP encouraging her to back Senator Bernardi's call for an inquiry.

 

I have attached a media release from Senator Bernardi for your reference.

 

Kind regards

Dean Kerr
Research Officer
Office of Nola Marino MP
Federal Member for Forrest 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: stephens1510

To: Kerr, Dean (N. Marino, MP)

Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 12:05 PM

Subject: Re: Inappropriate Advertising

Hi Dean,

Thanks for your reply.

You have said what must happen. in this sentence

"only way that advertising standards can be adjusted is through legislation, which must go through Parliament."

Legislation has to be brought in to amend censorship regulations.

I'm certain if Mr Rudd and all his colleagues and Mr Nelson and his, took the correct stand on this, things would happen more quickly than if I write to 2GB or TCN 9 

Children should be more to politicians than just props for photo opportunities before elections.

Regards

Hans Stephens

 

 I wasn't expecting an instant change but if 75% of ministers asked for action I'm sure it would carry more weight than an email to the standards people from me.

 

 

 

 

 

         A MEDIA RELEASE FROM SENATOTOR CORY BERNARDI

SENATOR CALLS FOR INQUIRY INTO SLIPPING TV STANDARDS

Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Community, Senator Cory Bernardi will today introduce motion for an inquiry into the effectiveness of the broadcasting Code of Practice operating within the radio and television industry.

Senator Bernardi introduced the motion in response to two weeks of public debate on the increased frequency of swearing on television and in particular the use of gratuitous profanity on Channel Nine’s Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares.

“Swearing is one of those social blights that has intensified in recent years” said Senator Bernardi.

“Traditionally swearing existed as a means of emphasising a sentiment and seldom appeared in the public domain.

“I am not a wowser. I have a broad acceptance of the Australian vernacular and the colourful use of language that permeates many aspects of Australian life, but like most Australians, I do not agree with the gratuitous use of obscene language, particularly in broadcasting.

“An examination into the effectiveness of the broadcasting Code of Practice needs to examine the frequency and use of coarse and foul language within programs, the effectiveness of the current classification standards and the effectiveness of the complaints processes currently available to the public.

“According to the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice, material not suitable for television with regards to language is defined as ‘very coarse language that is aggressive and very frequent.’

“In recent years shows like Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares, Sex and the City, The Sopranos and Big Brother Uncut have all aired frequent coarse language that many could be interpreted as aggressive.

“How does the television industry define ‘coarse language’? The Code of Practice needs to be clarified with examples to give broadcasters clear guidelines as to what is acceptable and what is not.

“Over the last few decades what is considered acceptable or not has changed dramatically. We need to ask ourselves where we are headed with this type of language and behaviour.

-2-

“In 1912 George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion outraged audiences by using the phase ‘not bloody likely’, the Sex Pistols were banned from British television in 1976 after using the c-word on a breakfast program, in Australia we had Graham Kennedy, the king of Australian TV taken off-air for his now infamous crow call.

“Today programs such as Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares drop the c-word in an episode at 9.30pm and has reportedly used the f-word up to 80 times in another episode screened at 8.30pm.

“Action needs to be taken to clearly address the excess use of profanity on our television programs. It is obvious that the current self-regulation and complaints process is not working.

“Currently if a person is offended by what is shown of television than they are required to write to the station which aired the show. The station then has 60 days to respond to the complaint.

“If the station does not respond to the complaint, than the complaint can be forwarded to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

“If the complaint is determined to be one that the ACMA will handle, then the ACMA will consider the information provided and then offer the offending station the opportunity to reply. Comments from the stations can take up to three months and often take longer.

“One the ACMA has all the information, the complaint is assessed against the Code of Practice. It is common to not receive any advice or report from the ACMA until five or six months after the complaint has been lodged.

“This complaints process needs to be streamlined and made more responsive to the Australian community. No one should be deterred by processes from making a complaint if they find something offensive.

“If I stood up in parliament and used the type of language that is now being broadcast over our television screens there would be public outrage. Imagine if in one of my addresses to Parliament I had the audacity to use the c-word. I am sure that I would quickly lose the confidence of many Australians.

“I accept bad language is going to be used. I understand that people - individuals and parents – have a responsibility to determine their own viewing habits by turning programs they find offensive off, but there are circumstances where we have to say enough is enough.

“This inquiry will help ensure broadcasting standards are in accordance with our community standards.”