Here is the press release from the Kaiser Family Foundation:

Washington, D.C. — The number of sexual scenes on television has nearly doubled since 1998, according to Sex on TV 4, a biennial study released today by the Kaiser Family Foundation. And while the inclusion of references to “safer sex” issues — such as waiting to have sex, using protection, or possible consequences of unprotected sex — has also increased since 1998, that rate has leveled off in recent years. The study examined a representative sample of more than 1,000 hours of programming including all genres other than daily newscasts, sports events, and children’s shows. All sexual content was measured, including talk about sex and sexual behavior.

The study found that 70% of all shows include some sexual content, and that these shows average 5.0 sexual scenes per hour, compared to 56% and 3.2 scenes per hour respectively in 1998, and 64% and 4.4 scenes per hour in 2002. These increases combined represent nearly twice as many scenes of sexual content on TV since 1998 (going from 1,930 to 3,780 scenes in the program sample totaling a 96% increase between 1998 and 2005). But despite these overall increases in sexual content, the number of shows in which sexual intercourse is either depicted or strongly implied is down slightly in recent years (7% in 1998, 14% in 2002, and 11% in 2005).

Among shows with any sexual content, 14% include at least one scene with a reference to sexual risks or responsibilities — up from 9% in 1998, but approximately the same rate as in 2002 (15%). In shows with intercourse-related content, more than one in four (27%) includes a reference to sexual risks or responsibilities. This is nearly double the rate found in 1998 (14%), but approximately the same as in 2002 (26%).

“Given how high the stakes are, the messages TV sends teens about sex are important,” said Vicky Rideout, a Kaiser Family Foundation Vice President who oversaw the study. “Television has the power to bring issues of sexual risk and responsibility to life in a way that no sex ed class or public health brochure really can.”

“The increase in the number of TV shows with sexual content, combined with the increase in sexual scenes per show has led to a dramatic overall increase in sexual content on TV since 1998,” said Dale Kunkel, lead researcher on the study and University of Arizona professor. “During the same period, the percentage of these shows that include ‘safer sex’ messages has also increased significantly, but has leveled off in recent years.”

Additional findings:

Sexual Content on TV

• Among the top 20 most watched shows by teens, 70% include sexual content, and nearly half (45%) include sexual behavior.
• During prime time hours sex is even more common with nearly 8 in 10 (77%) shows including sexual content, averaging 5.9 sexual scenes per hour.
• Two-thirds (68%) of all shows include talk about sex and 35% of all shows include sexual behaviors.
• Reality shows are the only genre of programming in which less than two-thirds (28%) of shows include sexual content.
• The percentage of shows with sexual content by genre includes movies 92%, sitcoms 87%, drama series 87%, and soap operas 85%.

Safer Sex Messages

• Two-thirds of all references to sexual risks or responsibilities on TV are “minor or inconsequential,” compared to one-third that are “substantial” or “primary” elements of the scene. Since the first study was conducted in 1998 this ratio has remained consistent.
• One in nine (11%) network prime time shows with sex include a reference to risks or responsibilities. This rate in prime time has held relatively steady over the years — 11% in 1998 and 13% in 2002.
• Among the 20 most highly rated shows for teen viewers, 10% of those with sexual content include a reference to sexual risks or responsibilities at some point in the episode.
• “Over the past seven years, more and more Hollywood writers have incorporated health messages into their programming,” said Vicky Rideout. “But the potential is there to do much more.”

Sexual Intercourse

• The vast majority (89%) of characters on TV involved in sexual intercourse appear to be adults age 25 or older. One in ten (10%) appear to be teens or young adults, down from one in four (26%) in 1998 and one in six (17%) in 2002.
• About half of all scenes with intercourse (53%) involve characters who have an established relationship with one another. Fifteen percent of scenes present characters having sex when they have just met — up from 7% in 2002.

I think these disappointing and (although it’s politically incorrect to say) shameful statistics speak for themselves. All I have to say is, this is why there are groups like the Parents Television Council. I don’t really think it’s asking too much that broadcasters respect the so-called “family hour” and produce some quality programs the whole family can watch that don’t include 5.9 sexual scenes per hour.

According to Billboard Radio Monitor, local DJ Bob Grayson succumbed to cancer today. He was 60.

In 1998, Bob moved to WXCL Peoria, Ill., for a year and then moved across town to competitor WFYR as OM/PD and morning show host.

Grayson was inducted into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame in 2000.

At-large Councilman Chuck Grayeb made a motion last night to direct the city manager to find out what other communities in Illinois would be interested in purchasing their water works from Illinois American Water Company. It passed unanimously.

However, IAWC’s parent company, RWE AG of Germany, has said it will sell all of its American water holdings as a unit, not piecemeal. According to the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader:

Harry Roels, chief executive of RWE, said last week that the company would first try to sell American Water to one buyer. If one buyer cannot be found, RWE will consider spinning off American Water as an independent company through an initial public offering of American Water stock, Roels said.

So, either way, it doesn’t sound like they’re even considering selling off pieces.

The preliminary site plan for museum square that was proposed at last week’s council meeting was approved by the council tonight with surprisingly little discussion. Van Auken, the most vocal council person tonight (Gary Sandberg was absent), expressed her disappointment that the Heart of Peoria Commission didn’t make a recommendation, but just supplied council with their comments.

I agree with her on this one. The council commissioned these people to look at the site plan and make sure it fit with the Heart of Peoria Plan and the goals of New Urbanism. Did it or didn’t it adequately do that? Do they not know the answer to that question? Are they trying to avoid responsibility? Was it just too much work to write up a recommendation, so they just copied their notes for the council? Were they too busy “appreciating the complexity of the task”?

What they gave the council was a list of eight conditions that would bring the site plan into conformance with the Heart of Peoria Plan. Next to each item, the committee rated how well the site plan met that criterion. The scores were as follows on a scale of 0-24:

1. The axis of Fulton Street must be visually received by the Museum, and the axis must be continuous, either as a street or a pedestrian passage, through the Sears Block from Wasthington Street to Water Street. Score: 7.

2. The Sears Block must contain a mix of uses complimentary to the Museum, specifically retail and residential, in order to enhance of the Sears Block and encourage the vitality Peoria’s efforts to become a city that is active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Score: 10.

3. The street frontages of the buildings of the Sears Block must be active. Water Street should have the highest level of pedestrian activity; Main and Liberty should provide support in their pedestrian connection between the Downtown and Riverfront; and Washington Street should allow a proper location for service areas while remaining pedestrian-friendly. Significant gaps in the street edge, low-laying structures, service uses and blank walls at the street edge all contribute to hostile environment unsuitable for street life. Score: 9.

4. All parking must be contained within the block in order to remove inactie deck facades from street level frontage. Score: 24.

5. Residential plots for any future private development must provide an attractive footprint size and orientation and allow for efficient layout of requisite parking facilities. Access to both Washington and Water Street is necessary; Washington is a B-grade street that will provide car and service vehicle access, while Water Street is planned to become an A-grade street offering a high quality pedestrian environment. Score: Not Applicable.

6. At a minimum, the height of the building(s) must be the equivalent of two stories in order to relate in scale to the urban fabric of downtown Peoria. Score: 24.

7. All open space must be designed to be complimentary to the urban context of the surrounding buildings and uses. Any natural areas, no matter their size, must be contained within hardscape and must be programmed to remain active during non-business hours while still facilitating the Museum’s needs. Score: 20.

8. The chosen architect of the Museum must be an acknowledged master, appropriate to the scale and importance of this civic site. Score: 24.

Total score: 118 out of 192, or 61%. Does that sound like a ringing endorsement? If you don’t include item 5, which the commission inexplicably rated “not applicable” instead of 0 (is it important or isn’t it?), then the score is 118 out of 168, or 70%.

Now, the Sears block is the crown jewel of downtown Peoria, right? And the Heart of Peoria Plan is supposed to be our blueprint for downtown renewal, right? Do you think 61% compliance with the Heart of Peoria Plan is a good precedent to set for downtown redevelopment?

Let’s call a spade a spade. The Heart of Peoria Commission didn’t do their job. They should have sent this back to the council with a recommendation to deny the site plan and continue working to conform it to the Heart of Peoria Plan. Instead, they’ve tacitly endorsed a site plan that in four out of eight areas identified as the most important design principles is significantly deficient.

In the absense of any recommendation from the Heart of Peoria Commission, the site plan passed unanimously.