TV Nudity Is Increasingly Being Rated Acceptable For Kids

A new study from Parents Television Council (PTC) has revealed that shows like ABC's "The Bachelor" are blurring the lines of how much skin is acceptable to show on primetime broadcast TV.

Based on findings from a period between January 1 and April 26 of this year, the PTC concluded “that blurred or pixilated full nudity is increasingly being shown on primetime broadcast television shows, and that almost 70% of this type of nudity is being shown on TV-PG rated programs.”

The PTC concludes that NBC and ABC are the most guilty, with the two networks accounting “for 88% of the full nudity that aired on primetime broadcast television.”

And while it may not be a conscious move by the networks to show more skin on their shows, it's often something that happens slowly over time.

"We have documented in the past that there is a phenomenon called 'ratings creep,' what’s not acceptable to show on TV in previous years eventually becomes acceptable," explains the PTC in their report.

"This data exposes the huge flaw in the TV ratings system: that the TV networks rate their own content and are financially motivated not to give a TV show a higher rating, otherwise advertisers would likely flee," continues the report.

But PTC President Tim Winter has a solution: "The FCC needs to enforce the indecency law – period. And if it doesn’t, then Congress needs to ensure that this happens and that children are protected."  BI