Bernama.com: Singapore TV Channel Fined for Promoting Gay Lifestyle (April 25)

April 25, 2008 12:57 PM

Singapore TV Channel Fined For Promoting Gay Lifestyle

By Zakaria Abdul Wahab

SINGAPORE, April 25 (Bernama) - A Singapore government-owned local television channel has been fined $15,000 by the city-state broadcasting authority for airing a television episode that promoted gay lifestyle.

Singapore's Media Development Authority (MDA) said the episode was aired in an acquired home and decor "Find and Design" series programme on Jan 13.

The episode showed the host helping a gay couple to transform their game room into a new nursery for their adopted baby, MDA said in a statement last night.

MDA said the episode contained several scenes of the gay couple with their baby as well as the presenter's congratulations and acknowledgement of them as a family unit in a way which normalised their gay lifestyle and unconventional family setup.

It said this was in breach of the Free-to-Air TV Programme Code which disallowed programmes that promote, justify or glamourise gay lifestyles.

MDA said it consulted the Programme Advisory Committee for English Programmes (PACE) and the Committee was also of the view that a gay relationship should not be presented as an acceptable family unit.

As the programme was shown on a Sunday morning, PACE felt that it was inappropriate as such a timeslot was within family viewing hours, MDA added.

Last month, MDA fined a local cable television $10,000 for showing a song commercial that depicted lesbian kissing scenes.

-- BERNAMA