Violence Remains Viewers’ Prime Concern

According to the Broadcasting Standards Council’s latest annual survey, violence still rates as the issue of key concern over bad language and sexual activity, although the proportion of respondents considering there to be “too much” violence on television has fallen.

The proportion of respondents who say there is too much violence on television decreased from 66% to 57%, the first significant change in four years. 55% rate violence as the issue causing “most concern”, this compares with 28% rating bad language and 18% sexual activity as the issue of “most concern”.

Whilst the perception of bad language remains fairly consistent, the report indicates areas where the audience is more critical. More respondents in the general audience trend study felt that there was now “too much” bad language on television. The findings identify pre-Watershed programmes as the source for the majority of “unjustified” bad language. The annual review also showed how well known the time of the Watershed was.

Lady Howe, BSC Chairman, commented, “It is good news after four years to see some shift in the perceived levels of violence on television. It is a welcome trend and one that will hopefully be continued, not least because violence remains the key issue of audience concern.

There are different signals on bad language, with a consistently large proportion of the words being of a religious origin. The additional factor that the audience find bad language, particularly pre-Watershed, difficult to justify makes this an issue that must be addressed.”

BSC: 0171 233 0544