The board issued the pronouncement on Tuesday.
In a memorandum released by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), the agency said that they are banning the exhibition of the program ‘Private Convos with Doc Rica,’ an original production by pay TV news channel One News.
According to the board, they are prohibiting the show from “exportation, copying, distribution, sale, lease, exhibition, and television broadcast in all media platforms within the jurisdiction of the MTRCB.”
The agency also detailed that the program was flagged by its Monitoring and Inspection Unit, which highlighted in its report episodes featuring “discussions on sexual experiences and fantasies, including the use of inappropriate language.”
In one instance, during ‘Private Convos’ September 6, 2023 episode, host Doctor Rica Cruz and her guest tackled “sexual awakening” and used explicit terms in the conversation, the board reported.
MTRCB also added that apart from the MIU, “concerned parents” also raised issues with the program.
They then issued the program a “Notice to Appear and Testify” in September, which allowed the show to submit their position paper.
“After a thorough examination of the case, including a comprehensive analysis of the position papers submitted by the Respondents, the Board determined that the respondent “Private Convos with Doc Rica” television program involved detailed discussions on guests’ sexual awakenings, leading to explicit narrations of intimate experiences, and employed language deemed unsuitable for broadcasting,” a paragraph from the statement read.
MTRCB chair Lala Sotto also denounced what she called “blatant disregard for the law.” She reminded and implored broadcasters to be “circumspect and responsible in their creative processes, acknowledging the profound influence on-screen content holds.”
The board then ruled that the episode and actions done in the program “fall within materials which appeal to the prurient interest of the average person.”
They also disagreed with the respondents’ stance that the show is imbued with “educational and social value.”
The MTRCB says that the ban will take effect “upon the finality of the decision.”
‘Private Convos’ is one of the five programs that debuted in May 2023 as part of One News’ ‘Long Conversations’ talk show primetime strip.
However, due to the said issue regarding the subject matter that the program covers, One News quietly pulled the plug on the show in December 2023, and has since replaced it with a sports-oriented talk show ‘Game Changers.’
Other ‘Long Conversations’ shows, namely ‘Thought Leaders,’ ‘Round Table,’ ‘Game Changers,’ ‘The View From Manila,’ and ‘Men’s Room’ are unaffected by the board’s decision.