Television content rating system

Consumer advice is compulsory for all MA 15+ and one-off programmes, as well as very short series classified M or higher (such as feature films, miniseries and documentaries).

In general, these abbreviations are as follows:[5] For violence, coarse language and sex scenes, the intensity and/or frequency is mentioned in front of the consumer advice.

[7] On broadcast networks, where the system is mandatory, the ratings are also translated in Brazilian Sign Language, and may also carry content descriptors.

[10][11] Additionally, should a programme contain content potentially unsuitable for some viewers, such as violence, coarse language, or nudity, members of the self-regulating Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (which does not include the CBC, although it still uses such warnings) are required to air a disclaimer at the beginning of the programme and at the end of each commercial break, advising viewer discretion (such disclaimers are only required for the first hour if airing after 9:00 p.m.).

This disclaimer is technically required even if the final commercial break comes immediately before the closing credits, and some (but not all) channels in fact observe this.

[16] The ratings are:[16] Article 65 of the Communications Law of Ecuador presents the following classification:[17] The classification to which belongs each programme will be arranged by the Consejo de Regulación y Desarrollo de la Información y Comunicación (Regulatory and Development Council of Information and Communication) depending on the parameters which are considered relevant.

The ratings system for television programmes shown on Finnish television channels consists of the following mandatory age classifications:[18] Programmes with an age rating may contain an additional marker for violence (a fist), sex (the male and female symbols), fear (a spider), or substance abuse (a syringe).

[21] In Germany, every broadcaster has to show a disclaimer displaying the sentence Die nachfolgende Sendung ist für Zuschauer unter 16/18 Jahren nicht geeignet before transmission if the programme contains potentially offensive content.

[33][34] The television rating system in the Netherlands was created in 2001 by the Dutch Institute for the Classification of Audiovisual Media (NICAM) and is known as Kijkwijzer (ViewingGuide or WatchWiser).

On free-to-air television, programmes classified M can be broadcast between 9.00am and 3.00pm on weekdays (school term time only, as designated by the Ministry of Education) and from 7.30pm until 5.00am on a daily basis.

On pay television, where content filtering is not available, programmes classified 18 can only be broadcast between 8.00pm and 6.00am on a daily basis and from 9.00am until 3.00pm on weekdays (school term time only).

The following descriptor codes (audience advisories) may be added for programmes classified PG or higher: North Macedonia uses five symbols for each program.

[53] On 1 March 2000, the "Friendly Media" agreement with the KRRiT and the broadcasters was reached to introduce a uniform system of classification.

The current Polish television rating system was introduced on 15 August 2005 and consists of five icons which need to be broadcast for the entire duration of the program.

[54] On 28 August 2011, their appearance was changed to the following:[55] Since May 2022, this category is split further into four sub-categories: P – Przemoc (Violence), N – Narkotyki (Drugs), S – Seks (Sex) and W – Wulgaryzm (Vulgarity).

For a long time, the only existing regulation on Portuguese television was that programmes with potentially shocking or harmful content could air only between 10:30pm and 6am and with a red circular marker on the top-right corner of the screen indicating it was for audiences aged 16 and over.

In 2006, all free-to-air networks decided to complement this rule with a shared, more detailed rating system for TV shows: These logos must be shown during 10 seconds in the beginning of any programme and after every break.

Regional channels like Fox Life, Fox Movies and HBO Asia are unable to carry Infocomm Media Development Authority's film ratings as they are targeted at the same region (a certain group of Asia territories), which results in programmes being subjected to external censorship of a much harsher nature outside Singapore territorial control.

In 2024, rating were once again updated, this time at beginning of each programme and in promos, content descriptions were added to the programming:[65][66][63] The Slovenian government accepted a law,[67] which requires television stations to play a voiceover and age icon warning, which has to be at least 10 seconds long before programmes, inappropriate for some audiences begin.

Additionally, one of the following icons (a white rhombus with the age number) has to be displayed for the duration of the programme:[68] Before 2014,[69] two symbols were used for content unsuitable for all audiences.

A rating disclaimer is displayed on the start of the programme for five seconds stating "This programme is prohibited for children under the age of X, so parental accompaniment is required" (이 프로그램은 X세 미만의 어린이/청소년이 시청하기에 부적절하므로 보호자의 시청지도가 필요한 프로그램입니다, I peurogeuraemeun X-se mimanui eorini/cheongsonyeoni sicheonghagi-e bujeokjeolhameuro bohoja-ui sicheongjidoga piryohan peurogeuraemimnida.)

"All" and "19" ratings have a different disclaimer, which say "This programme is suitable for all ages" (이 프로그램은 모든 연령의 시청자가 시청할 수 있는 프로그램입니다, I peurogeuraemeun modeun yeollyeong-ui sicheongjaga sicheonghal su inneun peurogeuraemimnida.)

and "This programme is prohibited for children under the age of 19" (이 프로그램은 19세 미만의 청소년이 시청하기에 부적절한 프로그램입니다, I peurogeuraemeun sipguse mimanui cheongsonyeoni sicheonghagi-e bujeokjeolhan peurogeuraemimnida.)

Under the new guideline, the so-called 'Free TV' channels have to label their programmes and reschedule their shows to comply in the following categories: TV programmes in Thailand are already labeled by a certain system of categories, a practice criticised by rights group as nanny-state censorship and ridiculed by some Netizens for its confusing standards.

The TV parental guidelines were first proposed on December 19, 1996, as a voluntary-participation system—in which ratings are determined by participating broadcast and cable networks—by the United States Congress, the television industry and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and went into effect by January 1, 1997, on most major broadcast and cable networks in response to concerns from parents and advocacy groups[79] regarding increasingly explicit sexual content, graphic violence and strong profanity in American television programming, and was designed to be used in conjunction with the V-chip, which the U.S. government had mandated to be built into all television sets manufactured from 2000 onward (and the vast majority of cable/satellite set-top boxes).

Programmes assigned a TV-PG rating may include infrequent coarse language, some sexual content, some suggestive dialogue, or moderate violence.

[81] Some thematic elements, according to the FCC, "may call for parental guidance and/or the program may contain one or more of the following" sub-ratings, designated with an alphabetic letter:[81] Up to four content descriptors can be applied along with an applied rating, depending on the kind of suggestive content featured in a programme (with the exception of the "FV" sub-rating, due to its sole applicable use for children's programmes).

An additional content descriptor, "E/I", is applied to select TV-Y, TV-Y7, and TV-G programmes that are designed to meet the educational and informative needs of children aged 16 and under.

The American pay television industry uses a separate, unrelated content advisory system—used in conjunction with the TV Parental Guidelines and the Motion Picture Association rating system—that first went into effect on March 1, 1994, on participating cable-originated premium channels and pay-per-view services (led by the system's charter services, HBO, Cinemax, Showtime and The Movie Channel).

), type of production (domestic or national independent) elements include containing (such as language, health, sex and/or violence) and lastly the rating of the programme.