This summer, CBS'
Kid Nation, a reality series that has 40 children running a society with minimum adult supervision, faced a serious dilemma when New Mexico officials claimed the network and Good TV Inc., the production company behind the show, failed to apply for proper work permits or waivers for the kids. The officials also said that they were not allowed to enter the set, a ranch near Santa Fe. The controversy intensified when a letter from a participant's mother claiming the children were being abused and put in danger became public.
However, it now seems like the government has had a change of heart, as officials recently announced that they have dropped the investigation, which had them rifling through the 22-page contract between
Kid Nation producers and parents.
Your Take
Daffney said:
I was concerned about their dish washing, it looked disgusting!!!, However I was a military brat and roughi...
MarcDom7 said:
Tricksterson, I would love to see those articles. I'm a fan of the show, both on TV and all the controversy...
oscardahl said:
Any parent who lets their kid go on this show and then turns around and files a law suit is a s!@#!@bag.
"It has been determined that absent any formal complaints to this office or request for investigation by any state agency, the Attorney General's Office will not pursue any further inquiry into the
Kid Nation production in New Mexico," a statement issued to
Los Angeles Times said.
Furthermore, the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, which had claimed that producers refused to let inspectors into the set three times, said in a statement that it also "does not have any plans to investigate the Good TV production/
Kid Nation."
Amidst all the controversy, both CBS and
Kid Nation creator Tom Forman maintained that they did violate nor skirt laws during production. Last week, the network issued a statement, saying that they “remain confident that
Kid Nation was produced in a legal and ethical manner, and we stand behind the quality of what is on the screen."
Although the investigation has been dropped, it remains to be seen whether or not the show will be renewed for another season. However, the network has admitted that "there has been casting and other preproduction activity so the show would be ready in the event of a pick-up."
The season finale of
Kid Nation airs Wednesday, December 12.
Do you think it was right for officials to stop the investigation?
-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Los Angeles Times
(Image Courtesy of CBS)