By Tim Winter- President, Parents Television Council
We almost couldn’t believe it when we heard that a show where couples switch spouses and presumably commit adultery would begin airing on the FYI network next week.
The premise of the Seven Year Switch is just that! In the series , four couples “at a crossroads in their relationship” — FYI does not specify if they’ve all been married seven years — get the chance to shack up with a stranger for two weeks in an “experimental marriage.”
They will eat, live, and sleep with these total strangers, the network says.
This new reality show will be marketed to and rated as appropriate for children. It is yet another example of a desperate attempt by a basic cable network with one already failed show (Neighbors with Benefits) to gain publicity at any cost without any regard to the impact on our society and our culture.
If you are as shocked and appalled as we are, and believe you should not have to pay for this type of programming, please add your name to our Seven Year Switch petition today!
Thanks for standing with us . . . Because Our Children Are Watching.®
Sincerely,
Tim Winter
President, Parents Television Council
The Parents Television Council called on A&E to offer a refund to cable subscribers who do not want to subsidize its FYI network, which will be premiering Seven Year Switch , a program featuring couples switching spouses and that will presumably encourage adultery, and which has aired other programming such as Married at First Sight .
“The virtually-unknown, virtually-unwatched and substantially-irrelevant FYI Network is set to premiere a show called Seven Year Switch . This program, which will be marketed to and rated as appropriate for children, is yet another desperate attempt by a behemoth-owned basic cable network – a network that is likely unable to survive in a true marketplace – to gain some sort of public awareness at any cost to its dignity and without any regard to the impact on our society, our children and our culture,” said PTC President Tim Winter.
“FYI Network owner A&E is pulling a fast one on cable consumers. A&E-owned FYI Network was once called the Biography Channel. It rebranded itself into an entirely different product, all the while forcing cable consumers to pay for it. And we’re not talking chump-change here: according to industry estimates, A&E is able to charge cable subscribers between 10¢-15¢ per month, generating over $100 million in annual subscription fee revenue for FYI Network, regardless whether consumers want the network or not. “The premise of Seven Year Switch is a reality show concept that goes too far, and is yet another example of why families and consumers should have Cable Choice – the ability to choose and pay for the cable networks they want. With the demise of A&E’s Neighbors with Benefits earlier this year, we would think that a clear message has been sent to the entertainment industry – and especially to the executive suite at A&E Networks – that there demand for this kind of programming is anemic.”
“At the very least, A&E should issue a refund to any cable subscriber who does not want to subsidize to its forced-bundled FYI Network on their cable bills.
“In the meantime, we will be contacting advertisers and asking them to carefully weigh any decision to associate their brands with the content of Seven Year Switch”
The Parents Television Council® (www.parentstv.org) is a non-partisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment. It was founded in 1995 to ensure that children are not constantly assaulted by sex, violence and profanity on television and in other media.
This national grassroots organization has more than 1.3 million members and 56 chapters across the United States, and works with television producers, broadcasters, networks and sponsors in an effort to stem the flow of harmful and negative messages targeted to children.
The PTC™ also works with elected and appointed government officials to enforce broadcast decency standards. Most importantly, the PTC produces critical research and publications documenting the dramatic increase in sex, violence and profanity in entertainment. This information is provided free of charge so parents can”make informed viewing choices for their own families.
Visit the new PTC Watchdog Blog at www.parentstv.org/blog.
Follow the PTC on Twitter: @ThePTC.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ptcusa.
