e.tv complies with advertising code regulations and takes internationally accepted measures to ensure that children are protected from harmful content, says e.tv channel head, Monde Twala.
He says this in an email sent today in response to questions asked by Gateway News following yesterday’s Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA) press release about a rise in consumer complaints about commercials on e.tv advertising pornographic sms services.
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Gateway News asked the free-to-air broadcaster to respond to the following questions:
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- What is e.tv’s stance on pornographic sms advertising?
- Why are these ads shown on programmes other than S & N-rated programmes?
- As a public broadcaster do you not believe that you have a responsibility to consider the impact of your porn sms advertising on teenagers who are major users of cellphones?
- How important is the revenue from porn sms advertising to etv?
- Who are these porn sms advertisers? Have you checked them out?
Twala’s response in full follows:
“e.tv ensures that the adverts it receives are in line with the Advertising Code and relevant regulations. To this end, e.tv has in place an Adult SMS Policy which specifies what type of adult sms’s are acceptable and at what appropriate time slots these may be broadcast.
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“The channel complies with the advertising code and relevant regulations such as the BCCSA guidelines.
“However, advertising content is the ultimate responsibility of advertisers and marketers. If the content of advertising is inappropriate and in conflict with the provisions of the Advertising Code as administered by the Advertising Standards Authority (the ASA), it is the advertisers who have to appear before the ASA to justify their advertising content. Our clients are required to be members of WASPA and need to comply with its Code of Conduct. Our clients are required to provide us with proof of their WASPA membership. e.tv furnished the ASA with this policy in 2006. After a review, we provided the ASA with an updated version in April 2010. The ASA has never raised any concerns with the content of our policy. e.tv regularly reviews its policy in order to be responsive to viewer concerns at all times.
“On numerous occasions, we have assisted the ASA with copies of adverts complained about and details of concerned advertisers to assist them in their investigations on complaints they receive. This is because it is in our interest to ensure that all broadcast content complies with the relevant Codes and is not offensive to our viewers. Of paramount importance, is our responsibility to ensure that children are protected from harmful content.
“To ensure that children are protected, e.tv subscribes to an internationally accepted principle of the watershed period. In terms of this principle, content intended for adults is only broadcast after 21h00. Adult content considered more serious would be allocated a much later timeslot. For this reason, adult sms’s adverts are flighted only after 23h00 when many children would not be expected to be in audience. And even then, they are flighted in programmes of an adult nature with significant nudity and sexual content.
“As with all other advertising, sms advertising is important to e.tv as a business. e.tv relies solely on advertising revenue whereas other broadcasters get their revenue from licence fees and subscription fees over and above advertising revenue.”
etv clearly have no interest in real protection of society, and cannot be expected to voluntarily exercise leadership in this area. In money terms they win both ways: They get revenue by flighting pornographic programmes and advertisments, then they get the news coverage when children are raping each other and adults are molesting everyone. They are part of the sickness, and have no desire to heal themselves.
I really dont enjoy watching late night movies on ETV because of the porn adverts, I dread the ad breaks, I am not a prude but to have to endure one advert after another makes me feel quite ill. I watched a movie last week called Confetti, no 2 to 18, because of language and nudity, the movie was good fun, the adverts just killed it for me, will see if my video store has it so I can watch it in peace.
we write this complain to you telling you etv programe to play porn vedeos every friday and surtuday.
I also agree that sabc is unprofesional by dispalying such content on tv for any age children to view,it is degrading the good standards parents teach their children.its just awful.i wish it could stop
Mr Twala.
next week I will teach you how to nail jelly to the ceiling.
These stations dont have a moral compass and dont care.
I would like to inform you that I will be boycotting ETV from now on. I was horrified on Saturday night while trying to watch the Last King of Scotland, I was subjected to continuous advertisements being flighted for Hard Core Porn. These advertisements were graphic and should never have been seen on TV. If it was not for the fact that I wanted to watch the end of the movie I would have turned it off.
I was forced to leave the room every time these advertisements were shown.
In a Country where we experience high incidents of Violence, rape, child abuse etc, no honorable TV Station should allow this kind of advertising just to earn a buck or two. I am thoroughly disgusted
Disgusted with Etv sms porn ads you make me sick!
The issue is quite simple – it is a matter of CONTEXT and FORUM. I don’t need to be a teenager to be offended and affected by advertisign that sells pronography. I do not have an issue with pornography itself, I have an issue with it being forced down my throat when I am watching other content. I consider what eTV is doing to us as visual rape. The imagery is demeaning and insulting to women, and as a women I am deeply insulted. If eTV was forced to remove pornographic content off it’s programming, then it seems ludicrous that it is allowed to engage with advertising that sells pornographic content. We all need to make money, but we are expected to stay within the confines of what our clients demand of us. By refusing to stop placing this kind of advertising, eTV is telling us as consumers that our voice is irrelevant, and that only leads to one place: angry and pissed off consumers. If you don’t want me to watch late-night TV on your channel, by all means, ignore my objection.
I totally agree with Cheryll Saunders. etv seem to ignore the complaints and give feeble excuses to justify the content on tv. do they honestly believe women who watch late night tv want see the smut they advertise.
Etv claims to have the best news channel. if your staff are so talented then surely they are clever enough to find other means of advertising to earn revenue.
Has etv considered all the silent complaints in households. i am disgusted by the smut you put on and will make every effort to educate people to stand up for our rights. As the public we have the right to say no to this content which degrades women. Get this disgusting material off our tv.
Another point which etv obviously has npt considered is that children stay up later on weekends and are subjected to this horrible content. Mr Twala you have a moral obligation to your viewers. Get your act together man.
Being strict is good indoors, we got different choices this is SA with freedom where is our freedom as adult. Porn is for us not kids and we are 100% careful they dont get to close to the tv after 10. Actually kids at 7 u tell them to go to do their school work and after that they sleep. Let etv broadcast softcore for us. Let us people vote whether etv should broadcast it or not. Let people power decide
Dumani – people, what people? These porn ads don’t serve people, they serve a particular kind of man who likes to see women demeaned. This is not democracy in action, since the broadcaster is blatantly ignoring the very serious and valid complaints issued against it. If there is advertising that is racist – what happens to it? This advertising is sexist and abusive towards women. 16 days of activism is where we’re at now, and I still have to sit and be offended and insulted if I happen to surf to the eTV channel at night. Take that **** down! NOW! Signed, a woman.
It is totally disgusting that still a blind-eye is turned to the sicko-porn ads on etv. For God’s sake man, get it right and get rid of the filth that puts lives in danger!!! How can you allow such shit to be shown – no wonder this country is on its knees.
Despite the time of day or night, despite the age restriction of the movie, the adverts in question are not only offensive, they are degrading and disgusting. As an adult I find them completely awful, but the reality is that it is not unrealistic to imagine a 16 year old staying up till 11pm during the school holiday or on weekends and being permitted to watch a 16 age restricted movie, and then to be assaulted by the advertisement images! The long term damage to their concept of relationships is immeasurable! eTV is completely irresponsible! Shame on them!
The porn ads disgus me ! Is it necessary to show it so many times in any way??? Wish u would just STOP sowing it. It is gross to try and watch a movie late Friday nigts with all those boobs being forced in your face because u want to watch a movie. GROSS!!!!!!!!!!
Disgusting and degrading. This in a country who proclaims to want to protect women and children. There is a direct correlation between these “ads” and the rape crisis!
Please stop invading my privacy with these ridiculous looking titted damsels who are clearly in distress! I think e-tv should have higher standards and stop labelling its viewers as dumb ass randy idiots!
I am a 19-year old male and find your sleazy ads offensive and disgusting! Take them OFF THE AIR!!! They instigate obscene behaviour in young kids – who do NOT have the “protection” of parents of when it is “safe” to watch TV. Do you really want to contribute to their upbringing in such a vile manner??
Etv u r disgusting. Do all of u realise u will stand before God one day and you will pay dearly for ur disgusting immoral behaviour? What s that u say? U dont believe in that? Millions have said the same thing..unfortunately they discovered the AWEFUL TRUTH the second they died. U WILL burn in a Lake of Fire forever.
Ps: Even those who worship the devil believe in him….he s real..so is HELL!!!
In my oe moet n vrou respek he vir haar liggaam n vrou se liggaam is n tempel van GOD belangrik geag om kinders te baar en liefde maak is n n instelling deur GOD vir man en vrou om een te word spesiaal rein mooi jul maak n verspotting van alles jul maak liefde maak vuil geen wonder daar is so baie egskeidings en verkragtings niejul stel nie belang aan beginsels nie
Every night late TV has ads on for calling young girls to talk sex…any man calling these numbers are complete losers and desparate and they don’t know they will not meet these girls, that’s it is their job to talk to losers…and to talk sex so they keep calling back…..girls who do this only mark themselves as sluts and the men who call, are only scum….so they make a good match i suppose but these ads are annoying, degrading to the people making them and need not be on the air, even late night.
As iam an udult to those who dont want their children to watch late porn movies iam very sory coz they now buying cd movies jst let etv proceed and make sure children doesnt wtch.
Plz stop the porn ads its stupid.youve got no standards
Plz stop the porn advertising on etv it is discusting bad adv for the channel distasful ot is common uggly bad for advertising