Proceedings initiated for broadcasting an animated film unsuitable for children

The Agency for Audiovisual Media Services of Montenegro (AMU) has initiated proceedings against the competent authority in Serbia due to the broadcast of an animated film unsuitable for children in the "Pink Kids" program.

The AMU Council announced that the film contains inappropriate elements, including explicit depictions of violence and its consequences, abuse of harmful substances (drugs, alcohol, etc.), sexuality and sexual activities, discriminatory treatment, or indecent behavior (swearing and vulgar language).

They explained that this represents a serious violation of child protection standards and a violation of Article 7, paragraph 1 of the Convention on Transfrontier Television.

The agency called on parents and guardians to pay special attention to the content their children are exposed to when watching television or using media platforms, because "parental support and supervision are a key factor in protecting children from harmful media influences."

In this way, they said, parents can help children develop a critical attitude towards content and use media services more safely.

In this particular case, it is an animated film that has been broadcast several times as part of the "Pink Kids" program, founded and broadcast by the company "Pink Media Group" from Serbia, and which is rebroadcast in Montenegro as part of various services for the distribution of radio and TV programs with conditional access and through various technological platforms.

According to internationally recognized categorization, the film is classified as animated content for adults, and cannot be considered suitable for children's audiences, the AMU Council points out.

"According to the Parental Guidelines published on the IMDb platform, the film carries the highest level of warning in all content categories: Sex and Nudity, Scenes of Violence, Indecent Language, Alcohol, Drugs and Smoking, Scary and Intense Scenes. These ratings confirm that this is material exclusively for an adult audience, the screening of which in a children's program represents a particularly serious form of violation of the rules on the protection of minors," the statement reads.

The Agency requested the Media Regulatory Authority (REM) to inform it of the outcome of the measures taken in writing as soon as possible, and no later than two weeks from the date of receipt of the notification.

"If the violation of the aforementioned standards continues after the expiration of the specified deadline, the Agency Council will, in accordance with its legal powers, take measures to limit the rebroadcasting of this broadcaster's programs on the territory of Montenegro," they emphasized.

The AMU Council states that they remain consistent in protecting the public interest and the child's right to a safe media environment, respecting all domestic and international regulations.