Sex Education on TV

Channel 4 has unveiled plans to broadcast a sex education series in the morning. KNTV Sex will tackle issues such as contraception, sexually transmitted diseases and masturbation.

The alternative guide to sex education features two animated teenagers from the fictional country of Slabovia, who examine a different topic each week. The 10-part series, a journey of sexual discovery, will combine animated characters with footage of comedy clips taken from TV shows.

Amazing sex facts, a look at the inner workings of the reproductive system and Operation Penis are some of the programme topics. The series will discuss different ways of having sex, contraception, STDs, bisexuality and coming out.

KNTV Sex is aimed at 14 to 19-year-olds and will be broadcast at 11am on weekday mornings.

The broadcaster said content for the series was developed with groups such as The Terence Higgins Trust and The Sex Education Forum.

Channel 4's head of education Janey Walker defended the decision to broadcast when young children could be watching: Between ourselves and the Channel 4 lawyers we have been careful .... We feel that we can defend the fact that it is going out in the morning. It might have a mixed audience but we very much aim to make it acceptable to anyone that happens across it....We are erring on the side of caution.

The broadcaster added that teachers had been crying out for more content on sex education.

I think there are questions of compliance... [With what we think people should be watching]

Channel 4 has received a few nutter complaints over a disgusting sex education series screened at a time when young children could be watching.

KNTV Sex, described by the channel as the alternative guide to sex education, goes out at 11am on weekdays.

Aimed at 14 to 19-year-olds, it covers issues such as masturbation, sexually-transmitted diseases, fetishes, bisexuality and homosexuality.

It attracted 100 complaints from viewers.

One said: I cannot believe that C4 would put such a disturbing programme on the air at 11am. The programme is not teaching anything except that sex is something amazing that you should do - it's absolutely disgusting.

John Beyer of Mediawatch UK said: I think there are questions of compliance and how this show works with the broadcasting codes and the protection of children. Ofcom needs to look at this. The trouble is that Channel 4 just do what they want to do.

Norman Wells of Family and Youth Concern said: Once again Channel 4 is seeking to push back the boundaries of what constitutes acceptable material for daytime television. The last thing children and young people need is another TV series that trivialises and cheapens sex and divorces it from any moral context.

KNTV Sex combines animation and comedy clips taken from TV shows.

It is presented by the animated characters Kierky and Nietzsche, two teenagers from the fictional country of Slabovia, which is described as the last communist state in Europe.

A Channel 4 spokesman said last night it takes a new approach to dealing with important issues around sex and relationships education for a teenage audience.

This series is based on information and advice from both sexual health charities and teachers. There is no explicit imagery and the content is suitable for the morning schedule.

Ofcom has rejected 38 complaints against controversial sex-themed episodes of daytime educational series KNTV Sex.

Repeats of the series aired in March, attracted viewer complaints for their sexual content, with one episode alone receiving 33 complaints. One focused specifically on its place in Channel 4's mid-morning educational schedules.