RadarOnLine Fined For Nadya Suleman Footage That Aired On Fox

The California Department of Labor levied four citations and fines to RadarOnLine for violations of Child Labor Laws in their filming of the Suleman octuplets.  The fines stem from RadarOnLine filming the first two octuplets who came home with Nadya on March 17th, 2009.  Their faces were covered to protect the exclusive provisions of a contract entered into guaranteeing exclusivity to RadarOnLine.  This footage was shown on the "Octomom: The Incredible Unseen Footage" special about Nadya Sulemen on the Fox Network.

RadarOnLine, operating in a "pay for play" environment and not as a legitimate member of the Free Press, had not obtained the required "Permit to Employ Minors" and the Labor Department ruled that the premature infants were, in fact, contracted employees.

The Law requires one Registered Nurse and one state-credentialed welfare worker for every three babies up to the age of six weeks, and one studio teacher/welfare worker and one registered nurse for every ten infants from six weeks to six months old.  These provisions were not followed.

In California, unlike any other state, these laws apply to reality television, as well as scripted television.  A while ago I wrote a post asking if Jon and Kate Plus 8 violated child labor laws.  It looks like it would in California, but not in Pennsylvania where it is filmed.

Paul Petersen, Founder and President of A Minor Consideration, who, along with his wife, wrote the California law, would like to see the laws expanded to all states.  Interestingly enough, Mr. Petersen is a former child actor who lobbies for stricter child labor laws in the entertainment industry.  He recently said:

Even more chilling for me is the awareness that other children working in states outside California are being subjected to similar exposure that will, I promise you, have life-long consequences. Most of the children employed in so-called reality shows do not have California's protections, which last night we observed in the breech, and it is a national disgrace that children employed in entertainment are exempt from federal child labor laws and have been since 1938 with the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

I am ashamed by the Industry that raised me. I am ashamed of the national media that is now trafficking in the images of children who are incapable of providing Informed Consent and do not have the power to disobey.

It is almost like he is talking directly to Jon and Kate, don't you think?

Ironically, barely anyone watched the Octomom show. It finished fourth-place in the time slot with 4.2 million total viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.  By comparison, the night's most-watched program, NBC's "America's Got Talent," averaged 10.3 million during the 9 p.m. hour.

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Comments

[DianaCLT]

Woo-hoo! Barely anyone watched the Octomom show! Maybe, now, finally, she'll just disappear from the spotlight and do what she should be doing: trying to raise those kids well and away from the circus she created.