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Racy TV show imperils contract
By BILL VARIAN, Times Staff Writer TAMPA -- Hillsborough County Attorney Emeline Acton said Friday that operators of the county's public access station failed to properly police the producer of a sexually explicit show. As a result, Acton has found the nonprofit group Speak Up Tampa Bay in breach of its contract. "Unless Speak-Up is able to cure the breaches of its Contract with Hillsborough County to the satisfaction of the County within 90 days, the Contract will be terminated," Acton wrote. She said producer Charles Perkins failed to provide a required parental advisory during a lurid episode of The Happy Show that aired March 5. The fact that portions of the show were later rebroadcast without a warning was particularly "troubling," Acton said. Acton's letter also faults Speak Up for not warning Perkins about his failure to include his name in show credits. Speak Up has since notified Perkins that a failure to include it could result in suspension. Officials for Speak Up had not seen the warning notice Friday and couldn't comment on its specifics. But Louise Thompson, president of the board of directors for Speak Up, said "I am dead sure that we have not breached our contract." Hillsborough Commissioner Ronda Storms requested the inquiry after receiving a complaint about an episode of The Happy Show that featured close-up footage of female genitalia. She also has asked State Attorney Mark Ober to consider pressing criminal obscenity charges against Perkins.
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