CBS Moves "Reckless" to 10:00/9:00 - PTC Members Get Credit!

This week, the PTC encouraged members to file indecency complaints with the Federal Communications Commission about graphic sexual content in the new CBS show, Reckless. There’s simply no question that type of material is inappropriate for the public airwaves at the times we know millions of children to be in the audience, and the fact that CBS rated its program as appropriate for a 14-year-old child adds insult to injury and reinforces the urgent need for TV Ratings Reform. However, there’s some good news out of CBS today: Reckless has been moved to 10:00 Eastern and Pacific Time, 9:00 Central and Mountain Time. This is clearly no substitute for CBS being responsible for the material it produces and distributes, but it at least takes this provocative drama one step further away from the easy access of children. It’s a small step, but a step in the right direction. Even more impactful is the speculation the CBS made the time shift as a result of PTC members speaking out about the content of the show:

Before the steamy, Charleston-based crime drama "Reckless" was moved to a later time slot by CBS, the Parents Television Council started an online campaign to get the show out of prime time. CBS announced Wednesday that the show's third episode would move from 9 p.m. Sundays to 10 p.m. "Reckless" was airing at 8 p.m. Central time zone.

Whether the decision by CBS to move the show’s time slot was a direct result of PTC members’ activism is difficult to know for certain, and it’s unlikely that CBS would ever say so directly. But we do know this: when parents and families speak out about the harmful media content that permeates our entertainment culture, we can make a real difference!