NBC family hour pledge 'hypocritical,' warns PTC

The Parents Television Council is labeling as "hypocritical" a pledge by NBC to show family-quality programming during prime time.

Two weeks ago, the Parents Television Council (PTC) lauded NBC for committing to show family-quality programming between the hours of 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. (Eastern). A spokesperson for the media monitoring group stated at that time it was refreshing that one of the major networks recognized the hunger for quality entertainment. But the PTC now says several NBC shows broadcast last week during that hour contained expletives and sexually charged scenes.

 
Dan Isett, a PTC spokesman, says viewers should be cautious about viewing programming on NBC. "[Do] not take NBC's word for it when they say they're going to reconstitute a safer family-programming hour," he warns. "You know, 30 Rock just a couple of weeks ago had a show that I can't even mention, with a vulgar acronym for older women that pursue younger men."
 
That program featured older women vying for the affections of 8th-grade boys while they danced provocatively around a fire. Other questionable scenes featured bleeped expletives, women removing their bikini tops, and -- on My Name is Earl, another NBC series -- men groping women.
 
Isett questions why NBC has resorted to such questionable material when the network experienced its biggest success with family-friendly shows such as The Cosby Show. Such programs, he recalls, led to "prime-time dominance" for the network for approximately a decade.
 
"The reason why they were successful is because they had a show like that that appealed to such a huge number of people," the PTC spokesman contends. He points out that The Cosby Show averaged about 60 million viewers a week -- about twice what any current broadcast network show draws.
 
The decency advocate has renewed calls for NBC to truly commit to airing content that the entire family can watch without fear of inappropriate or indecent content.