All Nudes, All the Time

Naked News, an Internet news service that gets as many headlines as it gives because of its naked anchors, gained broader exposure in its native Canada last week when it launched on CHUM-owned independent broadcast station CITY-TV in Toronto and Ontario and on its Sextv, a cable and digital channel available throughout Canada.

The service is best-known for its online newsreaders, who disrobe as they offer reports ranging from international news to business and lifestyle features. But Naked News' North American television exposure has been limited to pay-per-view services in homes and hotel rooms.

The programs airing on Canadian TV are not the daily newscasts but a magazine-style program produced weekly and featuring the Naked News' female anchors. CITY-TV says it does not expect a backlash from the late-night entry.

While Sextv obviously targets a specific type of programming, Naked News producer David Warga distinguishes nudity from overt sexuality, saying that Naked News is "less sexual in content than other cable shows like The Sopranos or Sex in the City. Nudity is just the packaging we use to get people to listen to the news."

Lily Kwan, a Naked News Webcaster, said she has "no qualms" about appearing on a network called Sextv. "The programming on the channel is all quite tasteful and deals with human sexuality—just like our program: We are sexy, but we are not sex."