The CBS PR machine has been in full effect touting a new network reality show set to debut this fall. Promos have been running, hype has been huge, and now the media is giving CBS exactly what they want. Suddenly, Kid Nation is becoming a must-see, as the magic word gets used more and more: controversy. CBS took forty kids between the ages of eight and fifteen and put them in front of cameras. These kids were placed in the New Mexico desert without their parents for forty days, to see what kids can accomplish when left alone. While for some, this sounds more like the plot of a horror movie, this is actually a highly-touted reality program from the network known for dramatic unscripted programming. But now, questions have been raised. Did CBS violate child labor laws? Did the TV channel put children at risk?

One mother has already filed a complaint against CBS, as her twelve-year-old was burned in the face while cooking on the show. Janis Miles, the mother behind the complaint, has asked for a formal investigation. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department has issued a statement saying no criminal wrongdoing has been discovered.  CBS has issued a statement refuting claims of wrongdoing, and further went on to say the kids were in good hands and under safety structures. So far, a lawsuit has not been filed against the network. 

The plot thickens. New Mexico state officials have said the producers and the network went around child welfare and labor laws during taping.  Here’s the issue: should work permits have been taken out, or special waivers filed? State officials say yes, but CBS says no – those kids aren’t employees of the network. Kid Nation kids did receive $5,000 stipends, and competed for $20,000 gold stars during each episode. CBS maintains this money can not be considered working wages. Meanwhile, inspectors for the Department of Workforce Solutions claim the network didn’t follow standard procedures, and denied the Department access to the set. The show began filming April 1, and inspectors arrived thirteen days later. They were not allowed to observe filming.  Now, it all deteriorates into a they-said, they-said game, as CBS claims inspectors were allowed to take photos of the children. Workforce Solutions says it didn’t happen. 

During the show, some children accidentally consumed bleach from an unmarked bottle, and another child was taken to the ER for treatment. Children were not allowed to call home, but producers called parents every three days with progress reports. Children were also allowed to leave at any time, and some did.

Kid Nation is set to premiere on CBS Sept. 19.