| The parliamentary majority began the fight for morality on television A group of deputies from the United Russia faction is preparing to fight eroticism and sex on television. Corresponding amendments to the laws “On Advertising” and “On Mass Media” have been submitted for consideration by the chamber. “The distribution of specialized radio and television programs of an erotic nature is permitted only in television and radio programs, access to which is carried out exclusively on a paid basis using decoding technical devices,” the bill states.
“Both specialists who professionally monitor the quantity and quality of advertising products on Russian TV channels, and ordinary TV viewers unanimously note the same unfortunate fact: recently the number of overtly sexually oriented TV shows on Russian television has increased sharply,” one of the authors of the bill told reporters , Vice Speaker of the State Duma Vladimir Katrenko. -- The ever-increasing volume of advertising of similar products is designed for their share: erotic pictures for mobile phones, erotic mobile SMS chats, phone sex, and so on. Our bill proposes to sharply reduce the number of programs of an erotic nature on open, that is, public television, and to equally sharply limit advertising of sexual services. To this end, we are proposing changes to the federal law “On Advertising”, as a result of which advertising of sexual goods, services and events will be distributed only on pay TV channels. This way we will significantly reduce the audience choosing TV programs of an erotic nature. Amendments to the federal law “On the Mass Media” imply a complete ban on the showing of television programs of an erotic nature on any available channel at any time of the day. They can be shown only in programs that can be accessed for money and are carried out using decoding technical devices. These legislative norms, in our opinion, will significantly reduce access to television vulgarity, which corrupts the young population of the country.”
The Duma opposition is also ready to fight vulgarity. “I don’t watch today’s television, because it is dominated by violence, massacres, sexual emancipation - everything that excites the basest in human essence. It’s time to take measures to curb this rampant debauchery,” Sergei Reshulsky, a member of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation faction, told a Vremya Novostei correspondent. At the same time, in his opinion, the United Russia initiative will not solve the problem. He remembered the long-standing idea of creating a public council on television, which would include authoritative people who enjoy the trust of our society. “Such public councils operate in many countries around the world, and this does not interfere with the work of television,” said Comrade Reshulsky.
Rodina faction deputy Alexander Chuev also considers the measures proposed by United Russia to be insufficient. In his opinion, it is necessary to limit advertising of erotic services in print media. “If we are talking about magazines, then we must clearly establish how they are registered, where and in what form they are distributed. The same should apply to video and photographic products,” the deputy believes.
A different opinion was expressed by Alexey Mitrofanov from the LDPR, the author of the porn film “Yulia” about the candidate for prime minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko. “The entire struggle for morality ends with what someone specifically puts in their pocket. The bill proposed by United Russia will hit provincial television companies that rely on advertising for such things. This, of course, will not affect the income of large federal companies,” the deputy told a Vremya Novostei correspondent. - But the fact is that this is another step towards centralizing the advertising market in Russia. I think that behind this looms the figure of the great Mikhail Lesin. Our advertising market is already organized vertically, with Video International branches operating in all regions. But some deputies, especially those who have recently worked in the Duma, really believe that they are fighting for morality.”
Deputies will no longer have time to consider the bill during the spring session. And according to the text of the document, it should come into force on January 1, 2007. In the meantime, Russian TV viewers have the opportunity to continue watching advertisements for sexual services for free. Ksenia VERETENNIKOVA |
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