Pa. labor agency probes reality show ‘Jon & Kate’

WERNERSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — In a cold dose of reality for reality TV, Pennsylvania’s Labor Department has opened an investigation into whether the hit show “Jon & Kate Plus 8” is complying with state child-labor laws.

The TLC series about two parents rearing 8-year-old twins and 5-year-old sextuplets drew nearly 10 million viewers for its fifth-season premiere Monday — more than double the audience for its fourth-season finale several weeks ago — after media reports that the parents, Jon and Kate Gosselin, had cheated on each other. They denied it but conceded their marriage is in trouble.

TLC said Friday it “fully complies” with state laws and regulations.

The Labor Department received a complaint against the show and is “gathering information” from its representatives, department spokesman Justin Fleming told The Associated Press. Fleming would not say when the complaint was filed or who filed it.

The fact a complaint is being investigated doesn’t necessarily mean the department believes the show did anything wrong.

“Any complaint we get, we investigate,” Fleming said.

Child actors and other young performers are protected by Pennsylvania labor law, but it’s not clear whether the law applies to reality TV. Investigators will have to decide whether the Gosselins’ house in southeastern Pennsylvania is essentially a TV set where producers direct much of the action — in which case the law may apply — or if it’s a home where the kids aren’t really working but are simply living their lives, albeit in front of the cameras.

Kate’s brother and sister-in-law made waves this week by saying the Gosselins are exploiting their children for financial gain. Jon and Kate Gosselin are reportedly paid tens of thousands of dollars per episode.

“Unfortunately, I think it has come down to all about the ratings,” sister-in-law Jodi Kreider told CBS’ “The Early Show.” “And no one is looking at these children as what they are going through and the life consequences they are going to have as they get older.”

Kreider said the children have told her they don’t like the cameras.