Trio is a tertiary cable TV channel, originally formed as a US outlet for Canadian and British drama series. Late last year it became part of the USA Networks stable, which a few months later was acquired by Vivendi Universal. One of the new management’s first modes was to schedule Uncensored June, a month-long package of “Viewer Discretion Advised” movies and documentaries “Presented Unedited and Commercial-Free.”

The program block premiered Wednesday night. Uncensored turned out to be so heavily censored as to be a joke–or a pathetic publicity stunt.

The opening offering was Art and Outrage, a documentary recap of the ’80s-’90s “shock art” genre and the vehement politicians and preachers who unwittingly helped make it such a hit. Interspersed among the valiant speeches by freedom advocates denouncing American prudery toward the human body were still shots of the artworks in question. Any image areas containing genitalia, breasts, or sexual positions was obscured with digital blurring, superimposed big red dots, or both. The same thing happened an hour later with The Last Temptation of Christ. They’re gonna show Last Tango in Paris on Thursday–any guesses as to what’ll be left of that film when they’re through sanitizing it for our protection?

Other cable channels carried on basic or digital-basic tiers have had no problems showing nude scenes now and then (the Independent Film Channel, the History Channel, even A&E on occasion). One would like to imagine that Trio, under new French ownership, would be at least as uninhibited. But apparently non.