The Parents Television Council has launched a petition to to get cable operators to pull We TV from their cable bundles, citing the show Sex Box, which debuts Feb. 27. It has also threatened to hold advertisers "accountable."
We TV announced last week that it would be launching the reality show, which it billed as "extreme couple's therapy." Couples have sex in a soundproof box onstage after consulting with relationship counselors, after which the couples talk about the experience -- there are no cameras in the box.
The idea, presumably, is to inject some thrill into "thrill is gone" relationships.
It is clearly to ill for Parents Television Council, which issued a release on Wednesday, Jan. 28 with a link to the petition and a dressing down for the network and the cable bundle itself -- PTC has long advocated for a la carte as a way for viewers to avoid what it considers inappropriate fare.
It is the first time PTC has called for pulling a channel, according to a spokeswoman for the group.
"A live sex show on TV is something that might show up on a premium cable network. But in an affront to all families, We TV is bringing that content to basic cable and potentially exposing millions of children in the process. If some adults want to watch a program like that, let them pay for it. But forcing it into the basic-cable bundle and making parents and families pay for it is an outrage. Sex Box should never see the light of day on basic cable.
We TV didn't respond to requests for comment at press time.
