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ACMA slaps Nine over splitting movie classifications

“Networks are on notice that this approach is unacceptable and in breach of the Code," says ACMA.

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Nine has been ruled in breach of the Code of Practice after it split a screening of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales into two parts last July.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority deemed the tactic to classify the film into two, as PG and M, was contrary to the Code and it constituted a single broadcast. It ruled the overall classification as M.

ACMA did not accept that splitting a film into two separate parts and rebranding it as two separate films, with two different classifications, fell within the ordinary and natural meaning of ‘modifying a film.’

ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said film classification is intended to regulate broadcast content and assist viewers to make informed decisions about their viewing choices.

“Viewers—some who are children—would have started to watch a PG film, then halfway through been expected to choose between missing the end or watching M-rated material,” she said.

“Networks are on notice that this approach is unacceptable and in breach of the Code.”

Nine’s tactic was deployed across several films in recent months including Casino Royale, Lord of the Ring sand London Has Fallen.

In doing so it cited frustration that under Classification rules, M rated movies were being treated differently to television shows -the latter allowed to screen from 7:30 but movies only from 8:30.

In December Parliament passed a change to the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, to remedy the imbalance, meaning the splitting is no longer necessary (unless it tries the same with PG / M).

ACMA has not advised of any punishment for Nine.

15 Responses

  1. Nine financed abduction of children, did acma it’s regulator do anything?
    “smartarse” aired on Nine between 6-7pm Cheating promoted on Nine
    Breach after breach
    Seriously when does a licence actually get suspended?

    Oh that’s right, Nine owns radio,tv, papers and ACMA is the Govt who also appear on Nine.

    1. Smartarse on News would not be a breach as News is exempt from Classification. Lots of shows on TV include cheating, MAFS is more at risk from breaching Classification for language than cheating per se. Don’t recall ACMA investigating 60 Minutes Lebanon saga. It probably boils down to what was broadcast on Australian screens, rather than what went on overseas. They certainly got hauled over the coals by the public.

  2. Censorship is really not something most people think little about when watching TV.
    I would say that most concerned parents know that content shown after 8 pm could include violence and coarse language and possible sex and nudity.
    I remember just a few years ago that the SBS had movies they screened the previous night repeated at lunch time, this was during a period of having weekly movie themes, some of which included explicit sexual imagery, I guess because of the low audiences no one really complained.

    1. This is nothing new. Back in 1986 when the Commonwealth Film Censor’s office decided they weren’t going to handle TV classifications any more and it was up to the stations to do it themselves, BTQ7 had just run four episodes of Family Ties at 9.30pm, promoted as “special Adults Only episodes”. Later that same year, over the summer break, BTQ7 ran those same episodes as part of a 7pm strip (7pm in those days was ‘G’). Networks have always done anything they think they can get away with because the ACMA (and its predecessors) has always been as weak as you-know-what …

    2. I’m pretty sure that during school hours they can screen whatever they want because any children at home wont be watching. Look at the subject matter in Dr Phil for example.

  3. Nine being hit with a wet lettuce is better than last week’s penalty of “…conduct ‘staff training’ and send us a report in a year”. Where did ACMA get the lettuce and are they hoarding them?

    1. I’ve watched a lot recently on SBS and their multi’s – generally stuff I can’t find on the streamers.

      I did try one on 9GO recencetly and the sound was horrific – so switched back to SBS

    2. And SBS World Movies has been airing M rated movies at 7:30pm since it began last year, no splitting over different classifications or anything.

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