ARY Digital in trouble for “man eating snake”

ARY Digital has had a telling off by media regulator, Ofcom, for broadcasting a scene in a reality TV show featuring a man biting off the head of a snake.

In an episode of ‘Dum Hai Tou Entertain Kar’ broadcast in early December 2009, a contestant came on stage with a live snake and proceeded to bite the live snake�۪s head off, and then skin the snake with his hands and teeth while continuing to eat it.

In response, ARY apologised for any offence caused by the snake contestant content, and said that it would “try to make sure that such content is kept separate from the UK viewers” in future, as the programme was recorded in Pakistan.

ARY had scheduled it for a UK audience after watching one sample episode. However, the broadcaster added that “we were unaware that this episode…included such an act where it will disturb a viewer”.

Ofcom recognises that the talent show format proves highly popular amongst audiences. It further added that broadcasters are free to include any such contestants, as long as the content complies with the Code.

Ofcom considered that this explicit and graphic killing, and then eating, of a snake by the talent show contestant was clearly unsuitable for children and had the potential to cause offence to viewers in general.

This is because the snake was clearly alive before its head was bitten off and no measures appeared to have been taken before the killing to lessen any pain; the contestant proceeded to skin and then devour the snake�۪s flesh in front of the audience; the whole sequence lasted several minutes, including a number of close ups; and the sequence was designed purely for entertainment.

Ofcom found the channel in breach of two rule breaks – one being the show not being appropriately scheduled so as to provide the necessary protection to child viewers. The second rule break was the programme was seen as offensive and not enough was done to prevent the repeat telecast of the show – the next morning.

It was clear to Ofcom that this material was capable of causing considerable offence through its graphic nature, that it would have exceeded audience expectations for this programme on this general entertainment channel, and that it would have surprised and shocked some viewers who came across it unawares.

This offensive content was not justified by the context which primary purpose is a programme to entertain the audience and was therefore in breach.