PTC Not Laughing at Comedy’s Silverman

Watchdog Group Rips Comedy Central’s The Sarah Silverman Program

By Linda Moss -- Multichannel News, 3/9/2007 4:37:00 PM

The Parents Television Council renewed its call for a la carte cable choice in response to an episode of Comedy Central’s The Sarah Silverman Program, which featured the main character, Silverman, having sex with God and pushing him out of her bed after a one-night stand.

The PTC, a watchdog group, complained that not only did the episode air twice this week, but also that it can also be watched online at Comedy Central’s Web site.

“This outrageously offensive episode clearly shows the dire need for consumers to be able to choose and pay for only the cable networks they want,” PTC president Tim Winter said in a prepared statement. “If the entertainment industry meant what it said about giving parents control, it would support giving families the ability to pick their own cable lineups.”

According to Winter, “The Sarah Silverman Program is just one example in a long line of cable shows that has insulted people of faith solely to make a buck … Even more shockingly, Comedy Central makes it easy for millions of children to circumvent any parental controls by placing this offensive content on its Web site. The network has reached new depths of irresponsibility.”

In response, Comedy spokesman Tony Fox said, “We’ve never been terribly popular with the Parents Television Council.”