DISQUS

QuizMonkey: Daytime Edition, anyone?

Speaking of the AWAs on the Spielberg/Hanks production, here's another story of worker exploitation on Australian TV which came up today. This time on Big Brother:

Big Brother pays cash in hand

Scott Casey
May 22, 2007 - 10:17AM

For more than two seasons, Big Brother's producers have used off-the-books, cash-in-hand labour for its Friday night games show - thereby avoiding tax and the need to provide compensation to injured workers.

A long-serving Big Brother employee contacted brisbanetimes.com.au this week to reveal Endemol Southern Star was paying "stand-ins" $50 cash-in-hand per shift to set up and test the challenges faced by housemates on the Friday night show.

"They are called 'stand ins' or 'test dummies' - they just pay them $50 bucks cash in hand at the end of the day," the employee said.

"They don't pay any tax, they don't have pay any superannuation. I've seen heaps of injuries - I've seen strained muscles, pulled ligaments, shoulder injuries, neck injuries, knee injuries. The other day they had a bucking bull and two guys pulled their quadriceps.

"If they have to be taken off in an ambulance then they look after them, but most of the injuries are things that you realise when you get home and your shoulder stiffens up and the next day you can't move it."

Under the Pay As You Go (PAYG) system, suppliers are able to provide goods or services for up to $50 without providing an ABN. They are then not subject to tax.

The Big Brother employee said the practice had been going on "for a few seasons".

A spokesperson for Endemol Southern Star yesterday said that all cast members for Friday night games were contracted and that all agreements were above board.

The employee who contacted brisbanetimes.com.au said he was unhappy with his employment conditions, which involved working under contract for the four-month series.

"It's only a four-month contract and then they sack us anyway," he said.

"I get paid $3000 for the four-month season for working on one of Australia's highest-rating TV series - I think we went live to 1.7 million people last week (on) Friday night."

It's yet another controversy for Big Brother, which this year has battled government attacks and falling ratings.

Earlier this year, Big Brother was rocked by an incident in which a former housemate - who had previously had a miscarriage - broke down after being told to participate in a challenge which involved looking after a baby.

Last season, Big Brother was lambasted for its infamous "turkey slap" incident and criticised for the explicit content in its late night segment Big Brother Uncut.

In response, Big Brother Uncut was axed and viewers instead offered an online, uncut subscription service.

Source

Honestly, who is surprised?

Yeah I noticed. I thought it was just an iTunes thing (yes I use iTunes, please don't hate me). Did we miss out on much?

Re: Scrubs. Yes, it may be a poor shadow of its former self (the characters are mere caricatures of their earlier forms, displaying the subtlety of a mallet to the head), and yes it's only trying to be funny. But by gum, it does the funny well. It may not have the soul it had in earlier seasons, but it's still one of the funniest sitcoms on air at the moment (though it doesn't have much competition; two-and-a-half/five men, anybody?).
And although I haven't seen the later episodes of the current season (I'm watching the 7 feed), I reckon there's a chance for some good old fashioned drama in the form of a medium-to-big plot development (which I had spoiled for me).