Tern Digital's KNTV Sex wins RTS Educational Television Award

[Nicola More]

KNTV Sex, the critically-acclaimed alternative education programme, has won an RTS Educational Television Award, in the 11-16 category.

KNTV Sex offers an alternative guide to sex education, taking the form of a 10-part series combining animation, archive footage and specially-recorded live action footage. Aimed at the 14-19 age group, the series offers a frank and funny take on sex and relationships, with topics covering the male body, the rules of attraction and sexual fantasies.

KNTV Sex and its counterparts KNTV Science and KNTV Philosophy are part of Slabovia.tv, a unique multi-platform initiative by Tern TV and Channel 4. Hailed as “twisted genius” by The Guardian, Slabovia.tv has featured on The List's pretigious Hot 100 and has been nominated for Webby and BAFTA awards.

Slabovia.tv is based on the premise of a fictional European communist state called Slabovia, run by the tyrant General Schmerdiakov. If Schmerdiakov’s plans for world domination are to come to fruition, the people of Slabovia must be intelligent and ambitious. To that end, Schmerdiakov recruited teen broadcasting geniuses Kierkgaard and Neitzche to create a series of educational programmes covering science and philosophy. Now concerned about Slabovia’s declining population, Schmerdiakov once again turns to KNTV – this time to boost the population’s understanding of sex.

RTS judges described KNTV Sex as “a witty and uncompromising look at a subject of great relevance to its target audience. The winning programme uses first-class entertainment devices and characters to deliver tough content. An engaging and fun watch with real take-home for the viewer.”

Stuart Cosgrove, Director of Nations & Regions at Channel 4, said: "Scotland is a centre of excellence for digital media. KNTV and Slabovia.tv are among many major online projects currently winning awards and grabbing attention online."

Tern Digital – the multimedia arm of Tern TV – is to build on the success of the Slabovia brand with the launch of its first mobile game, which is funded by Channel 4 and co-created with TAG Games. GUTS is an action-based arcade-style game in which players guide a tiny submarine through the body of General Schmerdiakov. The game is set for release in summer 2009.