BBFC (British Board of Film Classification)

BBFC (British Board of Film Classification)

The History of BBFCThe British Board of Film Censors was established in 1912, by the film industry.The BBFC is an independent, non-governmental body, which has exercised responsibilities over the cinema for a hundred years.The BBFC was set up in order to bring a degree of uniformity The object was to create a body which could make judgements that were acceptable nationally. The BBFC has needed to earn the trust of the local people who are in charger of the community, Parliament, the press and the public.

What Does the BBFC do?In order to protect children from unsuitable and even harmful content in films and videos and to give consumers information they might need about a particular film or video before deciding whether or not to view it, the BBFC examines and age rates films and videos before they are released.We watch films and videos all the way through and award an age rating and insight to each one.

Examples of BBFC

ASA (Advertising Standards Authority)

The History of ASACommercial TV started broadcasting in 1955, the advertisements were controlled by legislation. This was the first time that advertisements and the claims they made - were subject to any form of formal regulation. When commercial radio was launched in 1973, they too were subject to statutory control.

What is the ASA?The Advertising Standards Authority is the UKs independent regulator of advertising across all media. We apply the Advertising Codes, which are written by the Committees of Advertising Practice. Our work includes acting on complaints and proactively checking the media to take action against misleading, harmful or offensive advertisements.

Examples of the ASA

PEGI (Pan European Game Information)

The History of PEGIFebruary 2001: the Swedish EU presidency suggests harmonized protection of minors against unsuitable content.May 2002: an ad-hoc working groupof multinational experts representing governments, associations and the games industry,proclaims the project feasible and continues the development. April 2003: PEGI is officially launched and inaugurated by Commissioner Viviane Reding.September 2005: an EC supported industry working group starts developing PEGI Online for additional protection in the online gaming environment. PEGI Online is launched in May 2007.22 April 2008: The European Commission publishes a Communication on the protection of minors in respect of the use of video games.12 March 2009: The European Parliament also issues a Resolution on video games

What Do Age Rating Mean?

The U symbol stands for Universal. A U film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. However, it is impossible to predict what might upset a particular child, especially at this lower end of the category range.

PG stands for Parental Guidance. This means a film is suitable for general viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. A PG film should not unsettle a child aged around eight or older. Parents should consider whether the content may upset younger, or more sensitive, children.

The content of games given this rating is considered suitable for all age groups. Any game that would normally be rated at 3 but contains some possibly frightening scenes or sounds may be considered suitable in this category. Videogames that show violence of a slightly more graphic nature towards fantasy character and/or non graphic violence towards human-looking characters or recognisable animals

This rating is applied once the depiction of violence (or sexual activity) reaches a stage that looks the same as would be expected in real life.The adult classification is applied when the level of violence reaches a stage where it becomes a depiction of gross violence and/or includes elements of specific types of violence

Game contains bad languageGame contains depictions of, or material which may encourage, discriminationGame refers to or depicts the use of drugsGame may be frightening or scary for young childrenGames that encourage or teach gamblingGame can be played onlineGame contains depictions of violenceGame depicts nudity and/or sexual behaviour or sexual referencesWhat is PEGI?There are games available on our systems for all ages and types of players. Just as with films or music, the videogame market is made up of people with varied tastes and interests, and the games made by Nintendo and our licensees reflect those differences.PEGI Online was launched in 2007 as an addition to the PEGI system to give young people in Europe better protection against unsuitable online gaming content and to help parents understand the risks within this environment.

Examples

PCC (Press Complaints Commission)

The History of PCCThe press in the UK has been subject to self-regulation for over sixty years. The self-regulatory era began with the creation of a voluntary Press Council in 1953, which aimed to maintain high ethical standards of journalism and to promote press freedom.

What is PCC?The purpose of the PCC is to serve the public by holding editors to account. We strive to protect the rights of individuals, while at the same time preserving appropriate freedom of expression for the press. We proactively advertise our services and reach out to people who may be in need of our help. We aim to promote high standards by developing clear guidance and practical principles through our rulings, and offering training and advice to editors and journalists.

Examples

OFCOM (Office of Communication)

The History of OFCOMThe creation of Ofcom was announced in the Queen's Speech to the UK parliament in June 2001. The new body, which would replace several existing authorities.Ofcom launched on 29 December 2003, formally inheriting the duties that had previously been the responsibility of five different regulators--The Broadcasting Standards Commission,-The Independent Television Commission,-The Office of Telecommunications (Oftel),-The Radio Authority, and-The Radio communications Agency.

What is OFCOM?

Our main legal duties are to ensure:

The UK has a wide range of electronic communications services, including high-speed services such as broadband;A wide range of high-quality television and radio programmes are provided, appealing to a range of tastes and interests;Television and radio services are provided by a range of different organisations;People who watch television and listen to the radio are protected from harmful or offensive material;

Examples