Which is most important, real life or television? That must be the question that we ask ourselves when looking at programmes like Survivor III. This programme is set in a Kenyan National Reserve and shows how various contestants live up to the rigours of an artificially created survival situation. As a TV concept is extremely popular. It seems that Mr and Mrs Average Viewer like nothing more than to curl up on the sofa and watch other people live out difficult, dangerous or embarrassing events in the full glare of the media.
Since the contestants on this programme are all volunteers, it would seem that there is little harm. However, here you might be mistaken. Setting such a programme in a National Reserve does require a bit of consideration. Unfortunately, whereas the film crew might have been compelled to act reasonably had it been set somewhere like Yellowstone Park, they seem to feel that in a poor, third world country much less care is needed.
Indeed, so environmentally destructive has the filming of this programme been that Kenyan environmentalists are now threatening court action as well as demanding appropriate compensation for the damage already created in preparation for the shooting of this programme. The Waso Trust Land Project - a Kenyan NGO - say that filmmakers have already cleared 20 kilometres of parkland habitat in order to facilitate the filming of this programme.
There are also rumours of an unfair contract between the filmmakers, CBS, and the Isiolo Country Council responsible for the National Reserve, one that made no commitment to compensate for any damage done by filmmakers. Although the makers of Survivor III vehemently deny this, there seems to be a marked reluctance on their part allow environmentalists to see this contract.
When three journalists tried to view the site they were promptly arrested, an action condemned by the Kenya Union of Journalists.
What you can do
1. Send the article - "Survivor" threatens Kenya's Wildlife - to the television company showing Survivor III and ask them for their comments.
2. Write to [name of filmmakers] and ask them to comment on a) What precautions they have taken to see that this valuable wildlife habitat is not damaged by filming the Sruvivor programme and b) What compensation have they committed to for the damage already caused.
3. If either of the answers are not to your satisfaction, then make a point of writing to the television company saying that you will not be veiwing this programme. If you can add a number of names to your letter, and make it a mini-petition, so much the better.
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