The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released its report to the Federal Minister of Communication, Helen Coonan, finding 54 percent of all those in the survey agreed with the statement that reality television programs exploit the people who participate in them.
In addition, the ACMA publication released on Friday had also stated that 46 percent of all those in the same survey agreed with the proposition that reality shows encourage inappropriate attitudes towards women. The national survey was carried out on 1000 people aged 15 and above.
The government authority had recommended that the Commercial Television Code of Conduct to contain a clause that prohibits television channels from broadcasting materials which present participants in reality show in a 'highly demeaning or exploitive manner.'
The report was prompted by Ms. Coonan who had asked the media regulatory agency to conduct a review of the Code after complaints were received about the treatment of participants in reality show, especially from 'Big Brother' when two men appeared to sexually assault a female housemate.
The Channel 10 reality show had also drawn the ire of Reverend Tim Costello, the Australian World Vision CEO, earlier this year when it failed to inform one of the housemate that her estranged father had passed away.