Senate Committee Recommends Permanant Classification Logos On Tv

[jchowland]

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Senate has decided that they need to change the Broadcasting Standards to (specifically) deal with Gordon Ramsey. From my perspective, some of the suggestions seem pretty stupid to say the least.

Some of the Highlights were:

"The report, unanimously endorsed by the committee, recommended parental lock-out systems should be made an industry standard for all digital televisions sold in Australia."

- Gordon Ramsey is already classified as M. It contains 'frequent coarse language' according to Channel 9. Ok, so Channel 9 probably should have put it on at 9 or 9:30, as is the watershed in the UK, but if someone isn't happy about the content, they don't have to watch it. Channel 9 is abundantly clear that the content contains unsuitable language before it starts the program. I'm not actually sure what else can be done short of banning programs rated M entirely from TV.

And will a parental lock out system actually achieve anything? None of the networks can keep an EPG schedule, let alone tell us whats on by publishing one.

"The report also recommended broadcasters should consider permanently displaying the classification symbol of a program on screen."

Oh, hooray. I'm sure the broadcasters will love displaying not only huge logos that mean the content is unwatchable, but now will stick a huge 'M' in the middle of the screen as well? They already put it in at the end of every ad break for about 10 seconds.

Link: SMH Article

Oh, and sorry about the rant. Australian TV is crap even compared to the US networks. I once had a visitor from the UK who asked why I didn't buy a Plasma. And then we sat down and watched Nine. He got the message.

[Mining Man]

~

And will a parental lock out system actually achieve anything? None of the networks can keep an EPG schedule, let alone tell us whats on by publishing one.

~

The silver lining in the cloud, perhaps? I'd love to see the networks forced to provide, and follow, a 7 day EPG minute for minute, in order for this to work.

Yeah, right...

[AndrewW]

I heard this on the radio this afternoon.

What planet do these people live on ?

I mean seriously, aren't the current watermarks bad enough ?

[digitalj]

already a thread from a bit over a month ago:

http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=66241

[AndrewW]

already a thread from a bit over a month ago:

http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=66241

to be fair, that thread is half way down the second page.

[jchowland]

Whoops,

Though to be fair, we were talking TT warbling on about this. Though coming out of the Senate isn't much different Interesting though, one of those ABC news updates last night said that they rejected the suggestions... Strange

to be fair, that thread is half way down the second page.

[DrP]

If such an act of idiocy came to be it'd be another nail in the coffin of Australian FTA television. For an increasing number FTA is already dead and buried. This would only hasten the process.

[dan2007]

Someone on Q&A raised a good question how come the senate wants to condemn Gordon ramsay's swearing but not look at more other important things that are affecting the Australian community? This is stupid... Really come on - there is more important things to worry about.

[Inego1503560167]

Interestingly, although it (the Committee's report) recommended permanent display of the classification, it noted the heated debate over watermarks generally. It suggested a solution may be to drop the station id watermarks.....

Given that we're going all digital in a couple of years time, I would have though that displaying the program classification in the program info and educating people should have been sufficient!

Kent

Edited June 24, 2008 by Inego