The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of SA (BCCSA) has fined DStv channel KykNet R15 000 for broadcasting an age-restricted movie with sex scenes in family time.
“The Tribunal has taken into consideration the fact that this is the third time in two years that a contravention of this nature has occurred,” the BCCSA said in a judgment released on Wednesday.
“After the first contravention the broadcaster promised that a contravention like this will not happen again. The broadcaster was then only reprimanded. To ensure that the broadcaster takes the necessary steps to avoid a similar contravention in future, the Tribunal has decided to impose a fine of R15,000.”
The BCCSA received two complaints about the broadcasting of the movie “Hond se Dinges” at 7.30pm on a Friday evening.
The film was wrongly advertised on the Afrikaans channel with a 13PG advisory, while it was in fact a 16NS movie, with an age restriction of 16 and warnings of sex and nudity.
“It's 7.30pm on a Friday night, the family is sitting down to watch a movie and all we get is sex,” said complainant R Rundle.
“If there really has to be movies like that why not put it on late at night with the correct rating and show it on a channel that you can expect something like that.
“I am highly disgusted with KykNet as I thought that that channel at least still has some kind of morals, it being a Afrikaans channel. It's a pity I was wrong. One more channel that we won't be able to watch,” said Rundle.
The channel admitted to the BCCSA that it had made a mistake by broadcasting the film in family time, and also by advertising it with the wrong advisory. - Sapa