ACMA updates Code of Practice
PG shows across digital channels, extra advertising, clamping down on Reality TV and online complaint forms are some of the new changes coming to TV, some beginning as early next week.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
More PG shows on digital channels, upgraded rules on sex and nudity, more promos on air, tighter guidelines for reality television and an electronic complaints system -they’re just some of the changes coming to television following changes to the Commercial Code of Practice by ACMA.
The changes, to take effect as soon as January 1st, follow an extensive overview of the Code, which has been operating since 2004.
The amendments include changes that are wins for networks, and some for viewers.
Amongst the new changes are:
– All depictions of sexual activity or nudity and all verbal sexual references in MA programs must now be relevant to the storyline or context and not be high in impact.
– 7TWO and GO! and ONE will now be allowed to screen PG-rated material at any time, freeing up requirements for G classifications. GO! has been particularly limited in playing some primetime repeats during the day and within Australia’s staggered school holiday timetables.
– An extra 30 minutes a day of advertising plus extra room to screen non-program matter such as promos so long as they are of less than 30 seconds. Digital channels will also win extra time for non-program matter.
– There will be more flexibility to promote M, MA and AV programs in lower classification time zones provided the material is in sync with lower time zone requirements.
– Reality TV is no longer allowed to depict participants in a “highly demeaning or highly exploitative manner.” Producers are to get Guidelines on this ruling.
– In News and Current Affairs, a “timely” and “appropriate” correction of a factual error will effectively eradicate the original report as a breach of the Code.
– From March viewers will be able to lodge an electronic complaints form.
“The past five years have seen significant changes to commercial free-to-air television broadcasting in this country including, this year, the launch of digital multi-channels that give Australians more program choice,” said Chris Chapman, Chairman of the ACMA. “While the new code allows some greater flexibility for broadcasters in programming for these multi-channels, the ACMA has ensured that industry also correspondingly introduces related community safeguards.”
The switch to allow PG programming on digital channels will mean parents may need to become aware that changing channels in a time zone could mean moving from G to PG viewing.
“It is important that parents and carers know about the new arrangements so they can help mediate children’s television viewing accordingly. Therefore, commercial free-to-air broadcasters are required under the code to undertake a 12-month community education campaign to comprehensively inform viewers,” Chapman said.
The new Code was developed by Free TV Australia, the industry group that is itself a representation of Seven, Nine and TEN.
24 Responses
steven hughes: Amen to that! 😉
Don’t want to see that rubbish when flicking channels on a lazy Sunday!
I also find religious programming offensive. How about a warning before broadcasting such rot so that I can change channels (something the god squad seem incapable of doing).
I would like to see the classification schedule changed, so that religious content is flagged (as I find it more offensive to my intelligence than nudity or profanity). Programs that include religious references should be rated MA15+.
Sorry, I ranted before reading SomeoneBBBA’s comment – let’s hope you’re right – censorship in this country is currently out of control.
Not happy at all with the first point on Nudity – borderline Horror and Gore like CSI gets an M rating while a bit of T & A is off limits, are we living in some kind of puritanical state here?
A bit annoying that acma allowed more ads but they are following the us model. Shows in the us have been starting late etc for years because there has been more advertising to fit the 21/42 min sitcom/drama shows.
Neon Kitten just find the off switch to the remote and you won’t have to see the christian shows.
Yes Jack, Neighbours is definitely a show that suffers a lot due to censorship. Not allowing PG rated programs between 6:00 and 7:00 on weeknights is absurd, especially because Ten are the only commercial channel effected by this (news and current affairs do not need to be classified). It also forces them to edit a lot of Simpsons episodes, as well as Friend’s when they aired it in that slot.
They can knock themselves out adding more ads and I’ll still fast forward them.After midnight they show dribble that is just a continuous advertisement for
hours on end and they want more,go jump.
To be honnest al this censorship does is make Network’s more and more cautious when it comes to making shows and therfore they sacrifice quality for these stupid guidelines. Take Neighbours which is G rated, the producer Susan bower is constantly saying she’s had to scrap stuff, or go around it in order to not upset censorship rules.
In 2003/4 Neighbours was regually using words like “gay” “drugs” “abortion” “divorce”
But since Home and away got into trouble for breaching its guidelines in 2007, Neighbours has been reduced to just gentley mowing over issues like this.
However on the flip side I think a show like Underbelly will probably be imune to these rulings as everything they show is in context as its a drama based oon real life events.
Why not just let commercial networks show PG all through primetime.
I’m unhappy with the new restrictions imposed on the MA15+ rating as it was already out of sync with the classification board’s guidelines in its previous state.
The graphic animated sex scene in Waltz with Bashir (which portrayed explicit, uncensored penetration) could not compare to the impressionistic sex scenes in Californication, yet the former gets off scot-free even thought that too was rated MA15+ on DVD. I don’t have a problem with either of the sex scenes as neither had exceeded “strong” IMO, but the Christian Lobby groups would have their own ideas on the matter.
What the hell happened to Australia being a secular state? =/
Mmmmmmmmm they probably thought it was time to make some changes,they have done none in a while.The changes they have made overall are unnecessary,for commercial television to have more ads is a poor decision.When our Australian programs are shown does that mean that they will now be made to run a bit shorter yep
These changes are actually good news. The requirement that sex scenes at MA level have to be “discreetly implied” has been removed, which brings the code into line with the codes used by the ABC, SBS and the Classification Board. This means that sex scenes included on MA rated DVD’s will no longer be found in breach of the code (as occurred once with an episode of Californication), and that the commercial networks will be able to show the same degree of content as the public broadcasters.
The other new requirements are only designed to reiterate what was already implied in the previous code. For example, high impact sex scenes have never been allowed in MA rated programs, because the impact of such programs can not exceed “strong”. High impact material means R rated material. Also, the provision that verbal references must be relevant to the story line or program context is only applying the same rules which already applied to visual depictions. This should not prove too restrictive, because virtually anything can be relevant to a program’s context (note the difference between the requirements for language at M level, which has to be “particularly” relevant).
Shame the new code of practice does not set guidelines for last minute programming changes and lateness of shows starting and finishing without good reason (as we all know, 8.30 is relaly 8.40 most of the time).
“Reality TV is no longer allowed to depict participants in a “highly demeaning or highly exploitative manner.””
Um…doesn’t all reality Tv do this to a certain extent?
Is there anything in the update to say where the extra 30 minutes of ads can air? or how many minutes are allowed per ad break?
Wouldn’t “Commercial TV updates their own Codes of Practice; ACMA rubberstamps it” be a more accurate title and summary?
As far as I can gather from the discussion of this over the last few months, the only suggestion from the ACMA that has been included is the requirement for electronic submission of complaints.
@Neon Kitten: I guess you’ve missed the howls over the last few days from the ‘Christian’ lobby groups? Far from being appeased, they’re up in arms about how it will lead to kiddies seeing more T&A on TV. e.g. abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/19/2776557.htm
The only problem I have with the new changes are the extra ads. I don’t care about the changes to the MA rating as I don’t watch tv shows for the sex, I watch it for the story and entertainment. I think the improved electronic submission form and pg times are a step in the right direction
You all bitch and moan about the nanny state but how many of you actually submitted anything to ACMA to express your views during the review process? Guidelines only ever get tightened, never relaxed, because the people with the motivation to submit want it that way. If you’re really angry about censorship, you should do something more proactive than join a Facebook group.
So much for viewers being able to make up their own minds. Its almost like parents never letting their children grow up. I’d rather watch something potentially offensive and switch off than never having my mind potentailly broadened at all. Between this and Gamers not being able to have R-rated games, its amazing how for such a country to be so free and ahead of the curve on somethings, we’re almost completely patronised and controlled on the other…
Good news re: online complaints submission and extended PG viewing times.
The rest is mostly bad I’m afraid.
“From March viewers will be able to lodge an electronic complaints form.”
How long have we had the internet?
More ads – fabulous. These people really know what they are doing, dont they?
>> “- From March viewers will be able to lodge an electronic complaints form.”
At last. Prepare for a new onslaught of complaints, Networks!
Missing from the above is the fact that aside from the changes designed to serve the networks’ own interests (as Media Watch has pointed out), the most disturbing of these changes have been designed to appease fundamentalist Christian lobby groups, which almost always go under names designed to mask their religious-nutter background (at least the Australian Christian Lobby is upfront about it!)
What with the nutter lobbyists getting their way first with internet censorship, and now TV censorship, I’m more than a little disturbed. I don’t believe in their mystical beardy fairy man, I don’t like being told what I can and cannot watch by people who cannot find the “off” switch and obviously are incapable of raising their own children, and I am truly terrified at how this is all becoming embedded in successive governments and enshrined in law.
I am officially launching my campaign right now to have all Christian (and faux-Christian) programming removed from FTA TV. It’s offensive, after all, and a “reasonable person” should not have to find themselves exposed to it.