MTRCB bans ‘Private Convos with Doc Rica’ from airing

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has released a ruling prohibiting the airing of TV program “Private Convos with Doc Rica,” which features conversations mostly about its guests’ sexual experiences.

“MTRCB prohibited the airing of the television program ‘Private Convos with Doc Rica,’ which airs over the One News Cable Channel, for airing a program that purely appeals to ‘prurient interest’ and for failure to adhere to the MTRCB Rating guidelines,” the regulatory board said in its decision dated Jan. 24.

The board’s Monitoring and Inspection Unit (MIU) earlier submitted an incident report to MTRCB Chairperson Lala Sotto in August last year, after the program released several episodes that had “discussions on sexual experiences and fantasies, including the use of inappropriate language.”

The report also noted that the regulatory board had received several complaints from “concerned parents,” further prompting the agency to take action.

“In the exercise of its regulatory powers, the MTRCB hereby prohibits the television program ‘Private Convos with Doc Rica’ from exportation, copying, distribution, sale, lease, exhibition, and/or television broadcast in all media platforms within the jurisdiction of the MTRCB, commencing from the finality of this decision,” it said.

“The MIU flagged the September 6 episode where host Doc Rica interviewed her guest about sexual awakening, during which explicit terms such as ‘self-masturbation, anal sex, and oral sex’ were used in the conversation,” it added.

Representatives of the program testified before the agency’s hearing and adjudication committee and argued that the show “is imbued with educational and social value”—a statement the regulatory board disagreed with.

The MTRCB also assailed the program for broadcasting some of its episodes during child-viewing hours, and for its failure to implement the necessary rating “despite being aware that the subject matter is unsuitable for very young televiewers.”

“After a thorough examination of the case, including a comprehensive analysis of the position papers submitted by the Respondents, the Board determined that the respondent ‘Private Convos with Doc Rica’ television program format involved detailed discussions of guests’ sexual awakenings, leading to explicit narrations of intimate experiences, and employed language deemed unsuitable for broadcasting,” the MTRCB said.

Chairperson Sotto also stated, “We unequivocally denounce any blatant disregard for the law. With the freedom to broadcast content comes a responsibility. We implore broadcasters and content providers to be circumspect and responsible in their creative processes, acknowledging the profound influence that on-screen content holds.”

“Private Convos with Doc Rica,” hosted by sex therapist Dr. Rica Cruz, premiered in May 2023.