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Greek watchdog bans Moment of Truth Moment of Truth, Howard Schulz's format represented by ShineReveille International, has been banned in Greece on the grounds of taste and decency, in a move that could end up in the European Court of Justice. The Greek National Council for Radio and Television has repeatedly warned commercial broadcaster Antenna about the content of the show, in which contestants win up to six-figure sums by answering embarrassing questions while hooked up to a lie detector. It has also imposed fines. The format, which has been sold to 24 countries including Sky in the UK, Spain, Brazil, France and Germany, has been one of Greece's most popular shows, garnering a 30% share in a 23.00 slot. The ban followed a show in which a mother was asked, in the presence of her daughter and son-in-law, if she wished her daughter had married a richer man. In March, another episode featured a female guest who was asked if she had ever had sex for money, or slept with a man and a woman at the same time. The following month, a male player admitted he had fantasised about his sister's partner. This is not the first time the format has landed in trouble. The original Colombian version of the gameshow was pulled off the air in 2007 after one of the contestants admitted she had paid a professional hitman to kill her husband. At the time, Schultz told C21: "It was crazy to have the Colombian government intervene in your gameshow. Because it's the land of telenovelas, Caracol had stripped it through the week in primetime and everyone was getting hooked on the drama that was unfolding every day. But some people think exposing the truth is a bad thing. It's certainly scary sometimes, but that's what makes the show so compelling." In the Greek case, Antenna has hit back, claiming that it may take the case to the European Commission, on the grounds of "extreme censorship." If it does it could set a legal precedent. In part of a letter to the Greek regulator, format creator Shultz said: "Socrates is famous for arguing that you must 'know thyself' to be wise and that the unexamined life is not worth living. I do believe that the truth sets people free, as John the Apostle states in the New Testament. "While these two statements might be a bit lofty for what is ultimately a television show, I want to make clear that my goal stems from the highest level of personal integrity. I believe people do need to know themselves and face the truth within themselves." A spokesman for Shine said: "Moment of Truth has been created in over 20 territories around the world and this has been the only case of this kind. The show's premise is simple, yet controversial by nature, and we work closely with our partners to ensure it is both produced and broadcast responsibly." Jules Grant 25 Jun 2009 © C21 Media 2009 
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