MANILA, Philippines?Television is largely supposed to be a ?GP? (General Patronage) medium, because it enters people?s homes at all hours of the day, and thus exposes minors to its program content.

Thus, standards for TV programming are stricter than those for the movies, since minors? access to films can be regulated at movie houses.

Trouble is, sex sells, so some TV people want to get in on the profitable action, even if it?s verboten to them. That?s why, on local noontime variety shows, dancers gyrate seductively in wee bikinis, in full view of children.

Outraged parents and educators complain vociferously about this, prompting the MTRCB to rap erring producers and directors on their knuckles?and, for a time, the dancers were forced to wear more clothing and gyrate less.

But the proper behavior doesn?t last. After toeing the MTRCB?s line for a few months, the shows up their sex ante once more, resulting in another round of outrage, protest, penalties, toeing the line, etc.

Rigodon

This recidivist rigodon is so pervasive that parents and educators can?t be blamed for being outraged?and for not trusting some TV people to do responsible work and protect young viewers from the excesses of the television trade.

Perhaps the MTRCB can knock more sense or dread in erring TV people?s noggins if it similarly ups the ante in terms of the penalties it imposes on those who break the rules.

Aside from sexy noontime shows, other exponents of randy talk and/or behavior on the boob tube are some ?for the boys? sitcoms, talk shows, rock music programs and so-called ?fashion? spectacles.

These programs purport to provide entertainment or information, but it?s obvious that they?re really playing it sexy for titillation and increased ratings? sakes.

Who?s fooling whom? Dear erring TV people, televiewers are smarter than you think, so it?s you who are wearing the dunce caps.

Unfortunately, some excessively sexy TV shows are able to do their worst because local viewers tend to be more apathetic than televiewers abroad.

In addition, we tend to be proactive in protecting our children from unsavory TV content, because we think it?s generally ?harmless.? It?s ?just TV,? after all.

Wrong. Precisely because television works so subtly on viewers? attitudes and perception, its power to affect us subconsciously is all the more intense.

If the erring TV people don?t exercise self-restraint, we?ll zero in on those new and ?hotter? programs, because our young viewers? sensibilities have once again been put at risk.