The Broadcasting Authority has fined One Television €2,329 after finding that filming of children during the light entertainment programme Singled Out violated Broadcasting Act provisions.

The Authority explained that the law lays down that even when children appear on a programme with the consent of their parents, the programme producer has the duty to ascertain that such participation is in the children's interest and not in the interest of somebody else. The producers are obliged to safeguard the rights of the children, taking into consideration that young children find it difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction.

In Singled Out a participant seeks a partner of the opposite sex and therefore has to identify who of the other participants is single.

The Authority said it was unacceptable that footage of the participants speaking about their personal life - whether true or not - included the children of the participants.

"The appearance of these children on the programme was certainly not in their interest, but in the interest of the producer in order to try to make the programme more popular," the Authority said.