Edmonton Catholic board votes ‘no’ to porn on television

The Edmonton Catholic School board has voted unanimously to try and tackle pornographic programming offered by television providers.

Trustee Larry Kowalczyk brought forward the following motion in a board meeting Tuesday night:

“That the Alberta Catholic School Trustees' Association send a letter to [TELUS], Shaw, Bell, and any other relevant television outlets to request that they end the provision of home T.V. pornography sales in the [adult] section of [video-on-demand] as there is ample research that links pornography viewing to increased violence against women and child sexual abuse."

Kowalczyk said he is concerned that “students are viewing pornography at home when their folks aren’t around.”

He acknowledged that pornography offered through video-on-demand is just the tip of the iceberg: “If they can’t see it on TV they can see it on their cellphones [and] computers. But we think this is a start.”

“We wish that it would be completely removed but perhaps the TV stations can have better blocks,” Kowalczyk said.

The Edmonton Catholic School Board will present the motion at the Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association AGM in November, in Edmonton.