Spanish MPs give Junior MasterChef a roasting over late-night time slot
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Version 0 of 1. Take one child, fatigue gently with lessons and homework, expose to a televisual phenomenon until long after midnight, then leave to rest for as long as possible, preferably overnight. Refresh with tears of tiredness and repeat. The Spanish version of Junior MasterChef may have proved hugely popular, but some politicians believe its very late scheduling is a recipe for yet more lost shuteye in a country that is already seriously underslept. Noting that some recent episodes of the cooking competition kept young viewers up until after half-past midnight, socialist MPs are calling for action – and an earlier bedtime. While praising the show for its social and gastronomic contributions, they want the state broadcaster, RTVE, to ensure that programmes aimed at children – or likely to appeal to them – finish no later than 11pm between Sunday and Thursday, or midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. “Sociological and public health studies show that Spaniards in general sleep an average of an hour less than other Europeans,” they say in their parliamentary motion. “And, along with other social and environmental factors, television viewing habits play a part in our country’s lack of nocturnal rest.” It stands to reason, they say, that young people also suffer from watching too much TV too late into the night. “Children who don’t get enough sleep exhibit problems such as irritability, sleepiness and a lack of concentration, which are usually noticed by their teachers. One of the associated causes of this situation is the lack of a regular bedtime. And in these cases, TV viewing can also make a child go to bed at a certain time on some days and a very different one on others.” The Tuesday night episodes of the fourth season of MasterChef Junior, as it is known in Spain, which finished in January, are a case in point. The grand final of the show, watched by 3 million people, ended after 1am. “MasterChef Junior is an excellent programme which, as well as being great TV, also promotes many positive values: individual effort; teamwork; our country’s diversity; the promotion of our gastronomy; and social recognition for our professionals and businesses,” the MPs said. “But, despite these virtues, it’s creating a problem because of the simple fact of the hour at which it normally finishes, which can be after 12.30 on Tuesday nights … [This is] well after the recommended bedtime for children who need to rest before starting their school day, which often begins very early.” All of which has given rise to what the MPs term a “paradoxical situation”: some children are allowed to stay up to watch MasterChef Junior, even though its late broadcast makes it bad for their sleep routines, while others are sent to bed, thus missing out on a programme that could be useful to their personal development – “and that’s to say nothing of the fact that they can’t talk to the friends about the programme the next morning”. Public television, they conclude, needs to be “especially careful” about the effect its programming has on family life and young people’s health. “Protecting minors when it comes to TV viewing isn’t just about content; it’s also about the times when programmes they like, or which are aimed at them, are shown.” A spokesman for RTVE said that the proposal was a matter for parliament, adding that broadcast times were often subject to change, but that such changes were always announced. He also pointed out it was not a year-round programme: “MasterChef Junior was broadcast throughout December, which means it will be nearly a year until the new season begins.” |