AFC1986
11-29-2006, 04:14 PM
source: wrestlemag.com
Reuters and several other international news outlets are reporting that Smackdown could be taken off the air in Indonesia, should a cabinet minister in the country get her way.
The demand was made by Indonesia’s Women Empowerment Minister Meutia Hatta, after speculation in the country that a 9-year old boy may have been killed by children who were copying wrestling moves they had seen on the show. State news agency Antara quoted Hatta as saying, “It is just proper for these kind of shows to be wisely stopped. It seems as if there are no better shows. This is not only a problem for parents to deal with. This is about society failing to filter what shows are good for our children.”
Lativi, who air Smackdown nationwide, have so far refused to take the show off their schedules, instead moving the show back from 9pm to 10pm, when presumably fewer children are awake to watch. Indonesia’s broadcasting commission has not decided yet whether to stop the show from airing, but ultimately it appears that Lativi could be forced to pull the show off the air completely.
Indonesian newspaper Koran Tempo also voiced its concerns this morning, saying “Victims have clearly fallen but ironically we could not do much. The SmackDown case has clearly shown how weak is the protection for the public from broadcasting content that has destructive potential".
According to Reuters, Indonesian media have hunted for other stories of injuries to students in “fighting games” that they could link to Smackdown being aired in the country.
Reuters and several other international news outlets are reporting that Smackdown could be taken off the air in Indonesia, should a cabinet minister in the country get her way.
The demand was made by Indonesia’s Women Empowerment Minister Meutia Hatta, after speculation in the country that a 9-year old boy may have been killed by children who were copying wrestling moves they had seen on the show. State news agency Antara quoted Hatta as saying, “It is just proper for these kind of shows to be wisely stopped. It seems as if there are no better shows. This is not only a problem for parents to deal with. This is about society failing to filter what shows are good for our children.”
Lativi, who air Smackdown nationwide, have so far refused to take the show off their schedules, instead moving the show back from 9pm to 10pm, when presumably fewer children are awake to watch. Indonesia’s broadcasting commission has not decided yet whether to stop the show from airing, but ultimately it appears that Lativi could be forced to pull the show off the air completely.
Indonesian newspaper Koran Tempo also voiced its concerns this morning, saying “Victims have clearly fallen but ironically we could not do much. The SmackDown case has clearly shown how weak is the protection for the public from broadcasting content that has destructive potential".
According to Reuters, Indonesian media have hunted for other stories of injuries to students in “fighting games” that they could link to Smackdown being aired in the country.