MOVIES SAVE SKINS

Movie studios have been responsible for keeping MTV’s drama Skins on the air, the New York Times suggested today (Wednesday), noting that, with the exception of a Red Bull ad, every commercial on Monday night’s episode was either a movie, a movie being released on DVD or a video game. Protests from conservative groups, led by the Parents Television Council (PTC), which called the series “the most dangerous program ever for children” and demanded that it be investigated for allegedly violating child-porn laws, have resulted in such advertisers as H&R Block, Foot Locker, General Motors, Schick, Subway, Taco Bell and Wrigley pulling their ads from the series. In its report, the Times observed, “Movie studios and video game makers will often buy spots in shows that are contentious or controversial because they are less concerned about their brand images than the marketers of consumer products.” An MTV spokesman told the newspaper that the channel has also created advertising “pods” on the show that allow studios to run commercials longer than the usual 30-60 seconds.