Free TV Australia recently released its annual code complaints report for 2010/2011 and, unsurprisingly, a majority of hits went the way of current affair shows and news programs. Classification, bias and discrimination accounted for most complaint types.
Combined, current affairs and news claim near 50 per cent of complaints, with commercials coming in second at 14 per cent. However, if we lump program promos and ads together, their total hits just over 25 per cent.
In most cases, all of the above were cited by viewers as being classified incorrectly, with 65 per cent of complaints speaking out about inappropriate levels of sex and nudity. Language and violence came second and third at 13 and 12 per cent respectively.
NSW was the source of most complaints at 37 per cent, with Queensland and Victoria tied on 22 per cent. There’s a massive spike in volume from the previous year’s report as this year’s findings are the first to include electronic submissions.
There you have it, paper proof the news and current affair shows are Australia’s most reviled programming. Not that we really needed that evidence.
[Free TV Australia via TV Tonight]