Television rating system |
=United States Ratings=
The TV Parental Guidelines system was introduced on January 1, 1997 in the United States in response to public complaints of increasingly explicit sexual content and graphic violence, and use of scatology, in television programs. It was established by the Federal Communications Commission but, unlike the MPAA film rating system, only as a voluntary-participation system with ratings to be determined by the individually participating broadcast and cable networks.
Additionally, it does not apply to documentary, news or sports programming, or commercials. The ratings system was specifically designed to be used with the V-chip, which was mandated to be built into all television sets manufactured after 2000, but the guidelines themselves have no legal force.
Interestingly, most programs aired after 11:00 are rated TV-14, including programs such as The Tonight Show .
For the first 15 seconds of every rated program lasting a half-hour or less, a large rating icon appears in the upper-left hand corner of the TV screen. For every rated program running an hour or longer, a rating appears in the upper-left hand corner of the TV screen at the beginning of each half hour.
Starting in 2005, a rating icon is now displayed after every commercial break. American Broadcasting Company was one of the first television networks to display the program s rating after every commercial break in addition to at the beginning of the program.
The ratings can be detected by a television set device known as a V-chip. V-chips are built into all television receivers manufactured since 2000. Older sets can be retrofitted with external set-top boxes. However, the V-chips have to be activated by the set s owner, and provide only a blanket blocking for programs displaying the owner-selected primary rating(s): subratings cannot usually be selected for exemption from V-chip blockage (there are some television sets which can block subratings, however).
Some famous exeptions of Live programming that got past by the censors were Madonna (singer) s you are a sick fuck, I don t know why I get so much shit on the Late Show with David Letterman , Bono s fucking brilliant on the Golden Globe Awards, Nicole Richie s get a cow to shit a Prada purse, not so fucking simple on the Billboard Music Awards and the most infamous scene on the history of American television - Janet Jackson s exposesd breasts on the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
=Canadian ratings=
In the wake of the American ratings system, the Canadian TV Classification System was created for English-language programmers to use in conjunction with the V-chip. This system differs somewhat from the American version:
*C: programming suitable for children under the age of 8 years. No profanity or sexual content of any level allowed. Minimal comedic violence; nothing realistic. *C8: suitable for children over the age of 8. Low intensity violence and fantasy horror allowed. No foul language but occasional socially offensive and discriminatory language allowed if in the context of the story. No sex or nudity. *G: General. Similar to the Canadian/American movie rating of the same name; programming suitable for the entire family with minimal violence, and no profanity or sexual content. (Similar to U.S. rating G or (low-end) PG) *PG: Parental Guidance. Again, similar to the movie rating of the same name. Moderate use of violence and mild profanity allowed, as is brief nudity and sexual references if important to a storyline. (Similar to U.S. rating (high-end) G, PG, or (low-end) PG-13) *14+: programming intended for viewers over the age of 14. May contain intense scenes of violence, strong profanity, and depictions of sexual activity within the context of a story. (Similar to U.S. rating (high-end) PG, PG-13, or (low-end) R). This rating was applied to a recent broadcast of the movie Animal House.) *18+: equivalent to the TV-MA rating, allowing strong violence, language, and sexual activity. This rating has been applied to occasional cable broadcasts of pornographic films. (Similar to U.S. rating R or (low-end) NC-17) French-language broadcasters use the Quebec film ratings system.
=Australia and New Zealand=
Australia s and New Zealand s rating only slightly differ from their other counterparts. New Zealands are based on Australia s previous system which was used before 1995. TV Networks are required by law to warn viewers of a rating of a Program over the M Rating before viewing the programme and required to show a list of subratings the television show specifically may contain (if any). There is also advertising restrictions on TV programs with a rating of MA15+ or Higher. These ratings are exactly the same for Subscription TV. After commerical breaks the rating and subrating abbrevation of the programme has to be shown by law.
==Australia==
*P - Programmes suited specifically for pre-school children. *C - Programmes suited specifically for children 5 to 12 years of age. *G - Programmes which are suitable for all ages. *PG - Parental Guidance is recommended for young viewers. - Cannot be Shown between 4:00pm & 7:00pm Weekdays. This Rating is Sometimes Accompanied by one or more of the specific Subratings in certain circumstances: **V For low level violence **L For low level coarse language **S For low level sexual references **SN For supernatural themes **H For low level horror **MP For medical procedures **A For low level adult themes **N For low level nudity *M - Recommended for Mature Audiences. - Can only be shown between 12:00pm - 3:00pm on School Days and 8:30pm - 4:00am any day. This Rating is Sometimes Accompanied by one or more of the specific Subratings in certain circumstances: **V For medium level violence **L For medium level coarse language **S For medium level sexual references **S For medium level sex scenes **H For medium level horror **A For medium level adult themes **N For medium level nudity *MA15+ - Not Sutible for Persons Under the Age of 15. - Can only be shown between 9:00pm - 4:00am. A warning must be shown before the program starts. This Rating is always Accompanied by one or more of the specific Subratings in certain circumstances: **V For strong violence **L For very coarse language **S For strong sexual references **S For strong level sex scenes **H For strong horror **A For strong adult themes **N For strong nudity *AV15+ - Very Heavy Violence Content - Not Sutible for Persons Under the Age of 15. - Can only be shown between 9:30pm - 4:00am. A warning must be shown before the program starts. Rating is always Accompanied by one or more of the specific Subratings: **V For very strong violence **L For very coarse language **S For strong sexual references **S For strong level sex scenes **H For strong horror **A For strong adult themes **N For strong nudity
==New Zealand==
G: Programmes exclude material likely to harm children under 14 and can screen at any time.
PGR: Programmes are more suited to older people but aren t necessarily unsuitable for children, and can screen between 9 AM - 4 PM and 7 PM - 6 AM.
AO: Content is handled in such a way that it is unsuitable for children, and can screen between noon and 3 PM on a school day, and between 8:30 PM - 5 AM. Some programmes exceed the guidelines and have special notes like AO 9:30 PM or later when breasts might appear on the television screen.
= United Kingdom =
In the United Kingdom, TV ratings are usually considered unnecessary; the television regulator, Ofcom, sets clear boundaries for what can be shown and when. The most obvious example of this is in the Watershed (television), the time at which more explicit content can be shown. On main broadcast television, this is 9pm, however on subscriber television services it is 8pm.
However, some channels have adopted their own systems.
=Other countries=
Several television networks in Europe have voluntarily started using similar ratings systems of their own, often using an age designation such as 12, 14, or 18.
=See also=
=External links=
*[http://www.fcc.gov/vchip/ FCC V-Chip web site]|
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