TVM pulls documentary after airing full frontal nudity scene
PBS apologises for broadcasting the clip on a Sunday afternoon
National broadcaster TVM has pulled a documentary from its online platforms after accidentally airing a scene featuring full frontal nudity during a Sunday afternoon time slot.
The incident occurred during the broadcast of I Am Luke Perry, a tribute documentary to the late actor, which aired at around 3.30pm on January 25.
While intended for a general audience, the programme included an unedited segment after roughly 50 minutes that showed the actor entirely naked – a breach of broadcasting standards for daytime television.
The error came to light after viewers formally complained to the Broadcasting Authority and PBS. They argued the scene was broadcast without any warning or age classification and that such content is not appropriate for afternoon television when children are more likely to be watching. Public Broadcasting Services admitted its mistake, issued a formal apology and confirmed the programme has been removed from its tvmi.mt portal.
It said the nudity scene was supposed to be blurred before broadcast, using a technique known as visual mosaic masking, but the edit was missed “due to human error”.
It also said it was implementing measures to avoid a repeat of such incidents.
Maltese law prohibits television stations from airing any material that could be harmful to minors during daytime hours. It says the most harmful content – specifically explicit sexual imagery – must be subject to the strictest measures, effectively barring full frontal nudity from daytime slots.
Broadcasters are legally required to use classification symbols and technical measures, such as blurring or mosaic masking, to ensure unsuitable content remains inaccessible to children.
Perry was an American actor who became a global pop-culture icon and teen idol in the 1990s. He was best known for his role on the hit TV series Beverly Hills, 90210.
He died in 2019 at the age of 52 after suffering a massive stroke. The documentary aired by TVM was a tribute to his life and career.
The nudity scene was taken from his work on the HBO prison drama Oz, in which he played the role of a priest who is imprisoned.
While he is showering, some inmates steal his towel, forcing him to walk out soaking wet and completely naked, clutching only a Bible, which he uses to cover himself as he endures a humiliating walk past the other inmates, who look on and mock him.