Spain TV Regulator Imposes Fines for Inappropriate Content

 

The Spanish regulator CNMC has imposed fines of over €2 million on broadcasters Mediaset Spain and Atresmedia for failing to respect the specific time slots when material unsuitable for children should not be shown.

Mediaset was fined a total of €1.57 million for broadcasting on its FDF channel three episodes of the comedy series ‘La que se avecina', which had "antisocial, conflictive and sexist content", as well as another three episodes of the dating show ‘Mujeres, hombres y viceversa' on its La 7 channel. The episodes were rated by the broadcaster as appropriate for 7 year-olds when they should have been considered inappropriate for under-13s.

Atresmedia, meanwhile, was fined a total of €448,000 for broadcasting an episode of the series ‘Mil maneras de morir' on Xplora, which should have been rated "18", and an episode of NCIS on La Sexta before the watershed.

Under Spain's Audiovisual Act of 2010, there are three so-called periods of enhanced protection: 08.00-09.00 and 17.00-20.00 on weekdays and 09.00-12.00 on weekends and state holidays. Any programmes recommended for over-13s must be shown outside of these time slots.