Date: 1st February 2001

Temptation Without Birth Control?


Although Fox has had difficulty signing up advertisers for its current hit reality show Temptation Island because of its sexy content, it rejected an ad for the birth-control product Encare, a spermicide, the Wall Street Journal reported today (Thursday). The turn-down was disclosed following Wednesday night's episode in which a couple was booted off the island after it was discovered that they had a child together, a breach of the show's rules. Noting that Fox was already aware of that fact when the show went on the air, Al Kaestnbaum, president of Encare's advertising agency, Chestnut Communications in Greenwich, CT, told the WSJ: "It seems ironic that they have a problem with birth control, but not promiscuity. ... This seemed like the ideal environment in which to advertise." Fox said that it accepts ads for birth-control products only when they promote disease prevention and only when they air late at night when young people are not likely to be watching. Kaestnbaum said that he was "dumbfounded" by such a policy, noting that "the instance of illegitimate birth is greatest among younger people, not older people."

Source: Studio Briefing