Child Labor at CBS...Kid Nation takes reality TV to a new low.

Kid Nation: CBS reality TV show involving 40 children ranging from 8 to 15 years old, put in a former Wild West town, by their parents, to create a working community. Working hours (according to the New York Times) were 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Those children who didn't follow these and other rules were subject to immediate expulsion from the show.

Folha de São Paulo, Brazil's leading daily newspaper, ran an article today, which started with this: "Something was still missing in the bizarre world of reality shows, but not any longer." 40 kids confined to a ghost city for 40 days in New Mexico. CBS, now under attack for violating labor laws, and making the kids work 14 hour days, responded that "all of the activities were age-appropriate."

In the article, it brings up Janes Miles, mother of an 11-year-old participant, who has accused CBS of negligence. According to Miles, her daughter burned her face while cooking, while four other children accidentally drank chlorine bleach, which was in a soda bottle. Romaine Serna, of New Mexico's Department of Children, Adolescents and Families, confirmed that CBS did not solicit local authorities to inspect the facilities. CBS responded that the US Department of Labor did inspect the locale, but that the chlorine incident did occur.

All parents of participants were obligated to sign a 22-page contract which released CBS from liability for any injuries, pregnancy, and even death of a child on the program. It also forbid any unauthorized interviews for the next three years. Each contestant received $5,000 for participating, and during each episode, one child is selected to be awarded with a god star, valued at $20,000.

Sometimes, I have an urge to cry, and never return to the US. reading about "Kid Nation," I suddenly had that urge again.