America’s parents likely don’t need any evidence that television content is getting worse, but a new study shows there was a 407 percent increase in pixilated-type full nudity on broadcast television in the 2011-12 TV year – most of it occurring before 9 p.m. and little of it containing the appropriate warning.
The study by the Parents Television Council is but the latest one showing that television is only getting coarser. A 2010 PTC study showed that profanity on broadcast TV had increased by 69 percent from five years earlier.
Among the study’s findings:
– There were 76 incidents of nudity on 37 shows in 2011-12, an increase from 2010-11 when there were 15 incidents on 14 shows.
– Nearly 70 percent of the scenes in 2011-12 that depicted nudity occurred before 9 p.m. and as early as 7 p.m., when children might still be up. The previous year, 50 percent of the scenes took place before 9 p.m.
– ABC (14) and NBC (12) led the way with episodes depicting nudity, with CBS (7), Fox (2) and CW (2) trailing.
– Of the 76 instances of nudity during 2011-12, only five took place during a show with the appropriate “S” (sexual content) descriptor at the beginning of the program.
Among the programs with nudity were ABC’s “Suburgatory” and “The Bachelor,” and NBC’s “The Office,” “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers” and “America’s Got Talent.” – BP