‘Kid Nation’ Parents Gave Show Free Rein

'KID NATION' PARENTS GAVE SHOW FREE REIN
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Edward Wyatt]
Children who participated in “Kid Nation,” a CBS reality show that has come under fire over questions of whether it violated child safety and labor laws, were required to do whatever they were told by the show’s producers, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or risk expulsion from the show, according to a copy of the contract signed by the children and their parents. The contract also specifies that while the children could be paid for their participation, those payments or the agreement to be fully under the producers’ direction did not constitute employment under the producers’ interpretation and therefore was not subject to any state or federal labor laws. The agreement appears to anticipate the arguments that were later made by New Mexico state authorities that the show’s producers might have violated state labor laws and licensing requirements for child housing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/23/arts/television/23kids.html?ref=todays...
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