Suicidal Squirrels?

From PRInside.com Romania to protest cartoon featuring with "suicidal squirrels" to the European Commission © AP 2008-01-17 16:51:38 - BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - A darkly humorous cartoon showing squirrels hanging themselves and throwing themselves in front of cars has drawn the ire of Romanian broadcasting authorities. But Romanian authorities have no control over the cartoon, because it is broadcast on a channel with a British license. The Romanian regulatory body for television broadcasting said Thursday it would make an official protest to the European Commission about the one-minute cartoon shown every afternoon on the British-licensed channel AXN.The cartoon, called "Suicidal Squirrels," is also broadcast on cable television in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Moldova, officials said. The National Audiovisual Council argued that the cartoon is damaging for children to watch. AXN declined to reach an agreement with Romanian regulators, broadcasting officials said. "Some people may say this is an overreaction, but I don't think that such programs would be broadcast in Britain at two in the afternoon," said Gelu Trandafir, a member of the broadcasting council. AXN, which is seen on cable television, obtained its license from Britain and therefore is governed by British broadcasting rules.