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e.tv Playboy nudity complaint dismissed

Cape Town - A TV programme aired after midnight featuring women's breasts fell within the broadcasting code, the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) said on Thursday.

A viewer had complained about the Playboy Playmates which e.tv aired just after midnight on 7 April.

The complaint was that explicit nudity should not be shown on a free-to-air channel and that some people would not be able to adequately "contextualise" the content.

The tribunal found e.tv had displayed a warning before the show stating a rating of "18, with nudity and language", and that viewer discretion was advised.

Freedom of choice

The age advisory was shown at the start and after each advert break. The women's pubic areas were blocked out.

"The tribunal held that freedom of choice permits adults to watch this kind of material, which does not amount to explicit sex or child pornography," tribunal chairman Kobus van Rooyen said.

"TV licences are, in the ordinary course, held by adults, who must take the necessary measures to ensure that children do not watch this type of programme."

He said the test for programmes was that of a normal adult who, according to the law, must tolerate the possibility that other adults may wish to watch programmes containing nudity or sex at a late hour.

"It is not our task to decide whether the material has a positive moral message or not, but whether there is any cogent reason for stopping this kind of material from being broadcast after midnight."

The complaint was dismissed.

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