Those CBS affiliates that were asked to not air the program have not responded.
NEW YORK – The protests – if not the outfits – are muted for the third annual broadcast of the Victoria’s Secret fashion show.
A media watchdog group, the Parents Television Council, said Tuesday it had written to CBS affiliates across the country, urging them not to air the supermodels strutting in underwear.
But none of the CBS stations have declined to broadcast it, network spokesman Chris Ender said.
“Maybe people are becoming desensitized to it,” said Katie Wright, spokeswoman for the Parents Television Council. “It doesn’t mean that we at the PTC are not upset about it.”
A handful of CBS stations didn’t air the show last year, the first time it was shown on CBS after one year on ABC.
Both Wright and Ender said CBS’ decision to air the special Wednesday at 10 p.m. EST/PST, when children would be less likely to see it, may have quieted the fuss.
“It’s provocative,” Ender said. “But it’s also programmed at 10 p.m. and will be well within the boundaries of what is acceptable for broadcast television.”
Supermodels Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks and Gisele Bundchen will walk down the runways, showing the lingerie company’s wares in time for holiday shopping. Sting and Mary J. Blige will provide some musical interludes.
Ender said he was unaware of any viewer complaints in anticipation of the special.
The Parents Television Council complained to the Federal Communications Commission about last year’s show, saying it violated decency standards, but has not received a ruling, Wright said.
“It’s not something that should be on broadcast television at all,” she said. “It’s categorically indecent – whether or not the FCC is going to call it indecent, it certainly is.”
A spokeswoman for the National Organization for Women, which joined the PTC in deriding last year’s show as a “soft-core porn infomercial,” did not return calls seeking comment Tuesday.
AP-ES-11-18-03 1616EST
Send questions/comments to the editors.
