★★★★★ 0/5

Networks pursue approval for earlier M, MA timeslots.

Plans for M rated shows at 7:30pm and MA15+ from 8:30pm will go to ACMA for consideration.

22
Leave a comment

2015-02-21_0032

FreeTV will submit proposed changes to its Code of Practice to media watchdog The Australian Communications and Media Authority in the hope of screening M rated shows at 7:30pm and MA15+ from 8:30pm.

Changes would also mean earlier and moderate broadcasts of violence, sex and nudity, language, drugs, suicide, and adult themes at 7:30pm, increasing in intensity from 8:30pm.

Earlier this year the lobby group representing Commercial Free to Air broadcasters called for public comment on proposed changes.

These also included proposed changed for News and Current Affairs, with accuracy to be required only in relation to material facts, while complainants must have viewed the broadcast on terrestrial television and be directly affected.

Industry group Free TV Australia said the new code “more accurately reflects how Australians are actually consuming television content”, taking into consideration a changing media environment where viewers access content whenever and wherever they wish across a range of devices and platforms.”

Source: Courier Mail

22 Responses

  1. Nine needs to make changes to classification standards. I feel that new TBBT episodes during the 7:30pm time slot need to be pushed to an M-rated. Some people under the age of 15 might feel disturbed.
    And please… Less bleeps on The Block and The Voice!

  3. remember when Smallville used to be played at 7:30, and rated PG only to have content edited out? I do, they could have used this change back then!

  4. I’m glad they are wanting this to happen, don’t like to see MA movies edited down to M at 8:30 like they’ve been doing. that also means they can finish earlier. but if this does happen I hope they try to cram in more M/MA shows from 7:30, new content and not just repeats to fill in gaps before 8:30. they can even have an NCIS night from 7:30 and have all 3 shows in the same night! among others.

  5. If this brings about that FTA can put M Rated shows like NCIS (that air in the US at 8/7c) on at 7:30pm then I’m all for it.

    Though of course it is as has been said is to loosen the rules on what gets bleeped now in the reality shows on at that time, not to allow fairly safe drama to air earlier. Though it would be good in TEN’s case if they could run say Masterchef 7-8pm and then put there M rated dramas like NCIS on at 8pm. Same goes for Nine with The Block, The Voice etc., in the 7-8pm slot with some of their other M material able to come on at 8pm, as long as running times are tight on those shows. Of course The Project would have to drop to 30 moins, as would Nine’s News and if Seven where to do the same it would cause theie news to go back to 30 minutes and Home And Away to 6:30pm.

  6. The changes will make no never mind. FTA is about as edgy as a balloon and the occasional boob, cuss word or (shock horror) radical idea broadcast when kiddywinks are still around will do nothing. Those of us who have been around a few years remember when FTA was edgy, when the news showed images that brought down governments, when water coolers heard the ins and outs of the previous nights drama/soap/comedy and when there was excitement and anticipation of viewing to come.

    Now? Not so much and FTA has only itself to blame.

  7. Once upon a time I would have protested vehemently but our kids are grown up, what the modern Mums and Dads let their kids watch is entirely their business, and given we don’t watch any ‘live’ tv, the dysfunctional commercial FTA can do what they like we just roll along watching what we like when we like

  8. As the networks don’t want to show sitcoms and dramas on their main channels at 7:30pm, the amount of sex, violence and adult content is largely irrelevant. The only things on in the 7:30pm slot are Masterchef, MKR, The Voice etc all up against each other.

    An M ratings means that the networks can show alcohol ads at 7:30pm. A big money spinner for the cooking contests. The kiddies can get a good dose of The Bundaberg Rum Bear before they clean their teeth and get into bed.

    This pits the Networks against the community and attempts to reduce alcohol abuse and its effects.

          1. Flexibility with content? The main channels are still going to have the same singing, food, building reality shows at 7.30pm. NIne are still going to fill their schedule with big bang theory repeats and dramas like greys anatomy are still going to be aired on the main channel, not fastracked, burned in double episodes and buried so late that it sometimes doesn’t finish till after midnight. Hence nothing will change because between 6pm and 9pm there’s nothing to watch and fta viewers will continue leaving in droves.

  9. Well, thanks to the industry ‘self-regulation’ (an oxymoron if ever there were one!) scheme we have for TV broadcasting in Australia, we’ve all missed our chance to have a say.

    Free TV Australia’s public comment period closed at the beginning of April, and ACMA are actually prevented from doing much more than agreeing to the Code of Practice. Provided it doesn’t breach broadcasting & content rules, meets ‘community standards’, is supported by the majority of broadcasters, and ACMA is satisifed that ‘adequate opportunity’ was given for public comment, it’s almost certain to be rubber-stamped.

    1. I voiced my disgust (**not** about the time slots). I don’t think the biggest deterrent to commenting on the changes was the time frame, but rather the length and wording of the document. It clearly designed to prevent people from voicing their opinion.

      1. Really? I didn’t think it was too bad as those things go (and yes, I too made a submission that wasn’t about the timeslots/ratings). They pretty much have to set some sort of bar somehow – otherwise they end up with submissions like the one to ACMA I once saw which was basically “I’ve got a lot to say but I’m too busy to write it down it, ring me on 04xx xxx xxx & I’ll tell you”…

  11. I think shows like The Voice have already begun breaking barriers when it comes to timeslots… I have nothing wrong with coarse language but at 7:40pm for a coach to yell Bulls**t confuses me as to how they’re allowed to show that at that time… kids do watch at 7:30-8:30pm.In saying that, I believe MA shows should be shown at 8:30pm… if memory serves correctly, Underbelly is an MA (DVD Classification) show that was shown at 8:30pm!

  12. Again with the time slots…

    The proposed changes basically allow networks to lie to us with no restraint or punishment (as much as the “beatings” handed out by ACMA with limp lettuce currently can be called “punishment”) yet people are worried about someone being shown a boobie.

    And yes David, I know you have **mentioned** this in your articles but I do not think you have given this part of the change the prominence it deserves IMO.

    There are far scarier things in these proposed changes than time slots.

    1. Agree. Couldn’t give a toss whether commercial FTA gets to bleep a couple less words in their various reality franchises that I’m not watching, but I find the proposal to reduce the onus on their news programs to be fair and accurate to be both abhorrent and concerning. I didn’t include “current affairs” because they already don’t appear to worry too much about the facts, preferring opinion and outrage over truth and balance.

  13. The only reason to pursue this is if the commercial free to air networks intend on airing drama at 7.30pm. Since they’re obsessed with reality this is all just pointless.

Leave a Reply