Comparative MEDIA LAWGhent University

SESSION 8Regulation, classification, rating and monitoring of audiovisual content in

Europe

Guest speaker: Inger Hoedt-Rasmussen

Dirk VOORHOOFwww.psw.ugent.be/dv

A thrilling session on Sex & the City

• A programme for all ages ???

• No chewing gum allowed

Your opinion?

• Total ban • Cutting• Rating• Consumer

information• No intervention

Issues to be dealt with• Pornography• Sex• Nudity• Human dignity• War• Violence• Disrespecting

authorities• Bad language• Political propaganda

• Hate speech• Drugs• Alcohol• Cigarettes• Commercials• Decency• Religion• Blasphemy• Fast food

• a talented group, who possesses new technology based competencies?

• a weak group with a specific need to be protected?

• a social problem?• a treat to well established

fundamental values? or• a specific educational task?

Do we regard children and teenagers as:

A global model ?

From Censorship

trough Rating

towards Product information

Which media?

• Cinema film• Video• Computer games• Television and radio• Books• Theater• Paintings• Music• Internet (filtering, blocking)

How the rating/classifying is organised?

State authority– Law– Department/Ministry of justice,

culture, youth, social affairs, media- Danish Media Council for children and

young people http://portal.medieraadet.dk/?lang=da

How the rating/classifying is organised?

Self-regulation– US, the MPAA film rating system, Movies

Pictures Association of America, is rating a movie's suitability for certain audiences. It is one of various motion picture rating systems used to help patrons decide which movies may be appropriate for children and/or adolescents: http://www.mpaa.org/

– Germany: Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft FSK http://www.spio.de/index.asp?SeitID=2

– PEGI, Pan European Game Information http://www.pegi.info/en/

How the rating/classifying is organised?

Co-regulation– Public/private, stakeholders involved,

enforcement– Nicam – Kijkwijzer The Netherlands:

http://www.kijkwijzer.nl/index.php?

How the rating/classifying is organised?

• Diversity of regulatory frameworks• National approach

• See Comparative analysis 12 movies in Europe, May 2007 Ratings in 7 EU Countries

http://www.kijkwijzer.nl/pagina.php?id=30?

PEGI rating

GamblingGames that encourage or teach gambling

SexGame depicts nudity and/or sexual behaviour or sexual references

ViolenceGame contains depictions of violence

PEGI ratingBad Language Game contains bad language

Discrimination Game contains depictions of, or material which may encourage discrimination

Drugs Game refers to or depicts the use of drugs

FearGame may be frightening or scary for young children

EU TV-Directive 1989/1997

Protection of minors (art. 22)

- Absolute banseriously damaging moral, physical, mental

development of minors, esp.! pornography! gratuitous violence

- Relative ban damaging (..)

unless guarantees minors have no access- - time

- technically encoded ! Warning message (visual or auditive)

TV and the protection of minors in EU: an illustration

Sex & the City, 2007

On SBS – Vijf TV in BelgiumComplaint by father of two young children

Decision by Flemish Regulator of the Media= Flemish Media Authority (FMA)

Sex & the City, FMA 3 April 2007

• Scenes harmful for development of sexual feelings of persons under 12, as sexuality is associated with pain and aggression.

• Sex & the City is rated + 12 by Kijkwijzer Nl.Shown until 20.00 p.m. also children younger than 12 are regularly, in the family circle, watching television.

• No auditory warning that next programme would be harmful for children.

A legal-sociological approach

CompetenceInstitutionsCultureContextMarket forces

That’s all Folks!