LOS ANGELES (October 4, 2011) – The
Parents Television Council® marked the end of NBC’s “The Playboy
Club” following the network announcement that it is cancelling the
program after just three episodes. Leading up to and during the
show’s run, PTC carried out an aggressive campaign that included
calling on its members and other concerned citizens to contact local
NBC affiliates, and asking advertisers whether the Playboy brand
aligns with their corporate image.
“Bringing ‘The Playboy Club’ to broadcast television was a poor
programming decision from the start. We’re pleased that NBC will no
longer be airing a program so inherently linked to a pornographic
brand that denigrates and sexualizes women,” said PTC President Tim
Winter.
“Since much of the new NBC leadership comes from the cable
industry, we are hopeful those making programming decisions will
consider more carefully the difference between the publicly-owned
broadcast airwaves and a subscription service like cable. The
network’s decision to air this series was a violation of the public
trust that comes with the privilege of holding a broadcast license.
“We are grateful to every member of the public who responded to our
call to take action against this attempt to mainstream a brand that
is synonymous with the pornography industry. We hope other
broadcasters heed the important lessons of this programming
debacle,” Winter concluded.
To speak
with a representative from
the Parents Television
Council, please contact
Megan Franko at (703)
859-5054 or Liz Krieger at
(703) 683-5004 ext. 120.