What?!? A television show gets banned in Greece? The Moment of Truth

If you have ever watched TV in Greece you will find this almost impossible to believe.  Greek television is so open and liberal and I find it very bizarre that they would take the television show "The moment of Truth" off the air.

I hope Antenna Television fights Greece's television and radio council on this!

Courtesy of Telegaph.co.uk

The country's broadcasting watchdog has forced The Moment of Truth off the air after ruling that it was offensive and encouraged participants to "humiliate themselves for a reward".

The programme, which was a ratings hit, earned notoriety after a female contestant was asked if she had ever prostituted herself or engaged in a threesome.

In an another episode, a mother was asked if she wished her daughter had married a wealthier man - in the presence of the couple.

Contestants, who are connected to a lie detector when they are asked probing questions, can earn six-figure sums if they are judged to have answered truthfully.

The quiz show was found to have overstepped the bounds of decency by Greece's National Television and Radio Council, which ordered Antenna TV, the commercial channel that screens the programme, to take it off air.

In a majority decision, the council ruled that the show should no longer be broadcast because it encouraged participants to reveal intimate details of their lives with "no regard for the players' decency and the effects on the social lives of their families".

The final episode went to air earlier this month. The show's concept has been sold to more than 20 countries.

Antenna TV accused the board of censorship and of compromising freedom of expression. It is reportedly considering taking the case to the European Commission.

The programme was launched last October and has became one of the country's most watched shows despite being aired at 11pm, winning up to 30 per cent of the national audience.

Overall Rating: Please log in to rate this post and comment. Tags : greek news, greece news, the moment of truth, the moment of truth greece, greece bans television show posted by Fano on Friday, June 26 2009 |