TV Programmes Should Have Cinema-Style Ratings

Cinema-style classifications should be introduced for television programmes, according to Paul Bolt, director of the Broadcasting Standards Commission.

Bolt wants viewers to receive the type of warnings that come with computer games, videos, DVDs and at the cinemas. His comments come amid concern about the type of programmes being shown before the 9pm watershed.

In an interview with the Independent, Bolt explained that the classifications would be especially valuable in labelling dramas and documentaries. He said: “Most television dramas are shot a films nowadays. I don’t see any particular reasons why they could not be classified in the same way.”

A recent report from the BSC shows that viewers are becoming increasingly concerned about the levels of sex and violence being shown in pre-watershed TV programmes (see Viewers Concerned About Sex And Violence In Soaps). This prompted parents to demand to have better information about the content of TV programmes to help them regulate their children’s viewing (see Parents Call For Tighter TV Classification).

The BSC recently upheld complaints against Sahara With Michael Palin, Crimewatch UK and the BBC’s Sport Relief for containing material inappropriate for pre-watershed screening.

The proposals could lead to the first on-screen warnings since Channel 4 used a red triangle in the corner of the screen in the mid-nineteen eighties. The symbol was dropped after twelve months following complaints that its lure viewers who wanted to watch films containing sex and violence.

BSC: 020 7233 0544 www.bsc.org.uk

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