European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 23, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse And dollars keep conservative grip on to shows by Deborah Hastings a television writer in the shifting sometimes arbitrary world of television standards its now of to positively depict teen agers having sex and women bearing illegitimate children. It is not of however to positively depict Gay couples having sex or women having abortions. Network broadcast standards executives say such guidelines reflect the tastes of american audiences. But to producers say those precepts really reflect the networks desire not to lose Money a i.e., homosexuality and abortion Are the two subjects most prone to advertiser pullouts and consequently lost commercial Revenue. The Best example of How to broadcast standards can be confusing is evidenced by recent episodes of several popular comedy series. Teen age stars were shown having sex for the first time and a preponderance of women Over the age of 30 stared at Bright Blue pregnancy Sticks. Whiz kid Doogie Howser 18, lost his virginity in the much trumpeted fall premiere of abcs Doogie Howser . Last season foxes Beverly Hills 90210 depicted a 17-year-old happily losing her virginity to her longtime steady. Cd so single 41-year-old career woman Murphy Brown played by Candice Bergen Learned she was pregnant last season in a Cliffhanger ending. In the fall opener she decided to have the child. Although Many lines of dialogue referred to Murphy so Choice a the word abortion was never uttered. Betsy Frank of the new York based Saatchi amp Saat Chi advertising firm said her clients did not pull commercials from any of the above mentioned episodes. But when to shows tackle homosexuality and abortion a those seem to be the two subjects where you re almost damned if you do and damned if you done to she said. A those Are two issues that most Divide people a she said. A and advertisers want their message to appear in an environment that is considered Good producers and network executives agree that All of the above rules can be Bent if your show is considered hot a hot meaning High ratings critical acclaim and big name stars. A i done to have proof of it but i really believe that Bill Cosby in his heyday could have gone on to naked and no one would have said anything a said Linda Bloodworth Thomason co creator of cd so hit series designing women and evening Shade. Abc Neil Patrick Harris and Lisa Dean Ryan in the hit television series Doogie , lbs a has never censored me a said Thomason one of televisions most successful producers. This even though episodes of her series have contained Gay themes and most recently Blunt opinions about the Clarence Thomas Anita Hill sexual harassment hearings. Don Bellisario executive producer of no cd a quantum Ijean which earns respectable but not blockbuster ratings got a taste of life outside Thomasone a league when he began shooting an episode that depicted a Gay teen age military Cadet contemplating suicide. When Abc Learned of the subject matter network executives said they had never approved the script and would not pay for the show in its current form. Bellisario maintained the network was skittish about the instalment a a homosexual Content. Abc said the scripts handling of teen age suicide and its use of Gay bashing terms were in poor taste. Bellisario made revisions including making the protagonist older and changing some dialogue. Abc is reviewing the completed episode. A try to get standards and practices to write something Down and they wont do it a the producer said. A a it a written in Sand. Its constantly to wit an episode of no cd Stop rated la Law recently contained Strong Gay bashing dialogue. The show depicted homosexuality in a Frank and favourable Light on several occasions. Broadcast standards used to reflect a the fear of getting objectionable letters to the network a Bellis Sario said. A lately that a taken on a More ominous tone because network executives now think a does this offend advertisers a a and if advertisers arc offended a or fear product Boycotts such As those organized by conservative groups like the Rev. Donald Wildmone a Tupelo american family association a they pull their commercials. In 1989, when abcs thirty something broadcast an episode showing two Gay men in bed talking advertiser defections Cost the network $1 million. Fearing additional financial loss the network did not repeat the instalment during summer reruns. Abc spokesman Bob Wright said network standards dictate that any depiction of abortion or homosexuality a must present both scripts dealing with abortion must contain pro life As Well As pro Choice views. Showing the other Side of homosexuality Means depicting a a great number of people in this country who believe that homosexuality is not Only a violation of societal beliefs but a violation of their religious beliefs a Wright said. Richard Jennings executive director of the Gay and lesbian Alliance against defamation expressed suprise at abcs homosexuality Standard. A god that a awful a he said. A there used to be a Large segment of the country that had very Strong opinions about african americans. For to to have catered to those racist and bigoted views would have been a disservice to Jennings whose group monitors television programs for their portrayals of Gays and lesbians added a a it a been an evolution just to get Gays and lesbians on to. For decades we be been invisible. Unfortunately along with abortion we be become Public enemy no. 1 to these conservative groups that have continuously bombarded sponsors for Over a decade with threats of Rosalyn Weinman no cd a vice president of broadcast standards and practices said network regulations do sometimes constitute a a line in the Sand but its not arbitrary its amorphous a she said. Frank of Saatchi amp Saatchi described the networks Bottom line concerns this Way a of course they want to put the Best most compelling shows on the air because they need the ratings. But they Are always going to be sensitive to the concerns of our advertisers. Its a medium dependent on advertiser news in rhythm with its Young viewers by Jane Hall los Angeles times network news executives differ in their reaction to mtg news a burgeoning division of the mtg music video Channel. Steve Friedman executive producer of Abc nightly news sees value in mtg tailoring its approach to Young viewers. But de Turner vice president in charge of news gathering for Cable news network is concerned that viewers weaned on a tvs a High octane mix of entertainment news and opinion May not have an appetite for duller straighter stuff. Friedman said a Young people identify with celebrities and the a Are a Good because they speak the mtg viewers language and talk about their culture. I think their newscast is pretty responsible although they seem to be pushing More of a Liberal Agenda than broadcast Friedman said he believes it is a Good for the network newscasts to do stories about education aids and other issues of interest to Young people. But he doubts that an interest in a tvs a Rock Star oriented news will translate into an interest in the broadcast networks nightly newscasts. A with mtg news you re talking about the a Tweeter so Between teens and 20s. They re not going to watch our program anyway a he said. A we have to wait for them to grow a Little older and Hope that As with previous generations so far their interests will change and one area where mtg news May be having an Impact is in the new generation of newsmagazine on broadcast to. Friedman who is overseeing no cd a Spring entry dateline Abc with Jane Pauley and Stone Phillips As co anchors said these programs May reflect More of a youth orientation than their predecessors. A if we re going to cover a disease like uterine cancer we May Tell that Story from the viewpoint of someone who a taking care of a Parent who has that disease a he said. In no Sturner is less accepting of what mtg is doing. A a it a not news in a traditional sense a he said. A a it a a polemic with a Point of View that tends to come from the Liberal Side. What a worrisome is that they re using the Cache of news on an unsuspecting non Reading generation. I fear that not Only will audiences raised on mtg news have an appetite for news at a frenetic Pace with All the glitter of entertainment but that they wont be Able to discern Between opinion As news and news As two Abc news executives declined to comment on mtg news saying they did not like to talk about the work of other organizations. David Corvo a vice president at lbs news said he had not seen any of mtg news programming but knew they were venturing onto the Campaign Trail. A a in a glad to hear they re doing election coverage a he said. A if they can help get Young people interested in the elections and in voting that would be february 23, 1992 sunday a Page 9
