Quote:We the undersigned believe that after the 9pm watershed adults should be free to make their own viewing choices.

1/ After 9pm encrypted television channels with age verification should be permitted to show any BBFC certificate 18 content and its equivalent regardless of genre, broadcaster motivation or context. The BBFC makes no such distinction and Ofcom should not either. (Context is used occasionally by the BBFC to exceptionally justify content that goes beyond the normal 18 boundaries).

Encryption provides protection against viewing by children who may still be up after the watershed while respecting adults rights to age appropriate content, particularly in the majority of households that do not have children.

In 6 years of operation Ofcom has provided no rational basis for subjecting sexual content to tighter rules than any other including violence, swearing and blasphemy. According to Ofcoms own research the F word and the C word are the most offensive, yet the F word is routinely used in comedy (Lee Evans and others) and the C word is used in film and occasionally in comedy (Charlie Brooker, 10 o’clock live and others). The strongest swear words are permitted by Ofcom. When broadcast by the BBC during the day they attract no more than a mild rebuke.

2/ After 10pm free-to-air adult channels should be permitted to broadcast any cert 18 equivalent content subject to adequate labelling and the ability to block them.
Sexual content on specifically sex themed channels has attracted an extremely small number of complaints over the years. The majority of these have been from competitors. Others have been from campaigners who have deliberately sought out late night material that offends them. The “serious or widespread offence” that Ofcom routinely cites simply does not exist.

Ofcom have consistently failed to provide any evidence that sexual content is any more harmful to children or causes more outrage than Rome, The Killing, Big Brother, Dexter, Silent Witness, South Park, Jackass, cage fighting, womens boxing or free-to-view films such as Saw, Hostel, Auditor, Antichrist or Team America.
According to Ofcoms 2010 Media Tracker Survey 8 times more people were offended by Reality TV (78 people) and adult content (9 people out of 399). The public were more offended by game shows (11), talent shows (16) general entertainment (67) soaps (104) and drama (127) than adult content. Even the News was rated more offensive (20). (Table 60).

Ofcom has singled out adult content for draconian conditions and sanctions despite a very low complaint rate and no basis for regarding it as more offensive or harmful than other content.

3/ After midnight all channels should be permitted to broadcast any cert 18 equivalent content subject to adequate labelling. At this time of night adults should be free to make their own informed choices. Any children still viewing television have more serious issues. The present rules prevent even brief adult content in satire, humour and drama unless a clear dramatic justification can be shown. Authors simply write as they see fit, they do not provide lengthy explanations.

4/ After midnight encrypted television channels with age verification should be permitted to show any BBFC certificate R18 content and its equivalent regardless of genre, broadcaster motivation or context. At this time of night adults should be free to make their own informed choices. R18 is legal in the UK.

(15-08-2011 02:50 )eccles Wrote:  4/ After midnight encrypted television channels with age verification should be permitted to show any BBFC certificate R18 content and its equivalent regardless of genre, broadcaster motivation or context. At this time of night adults should be free to make their own informed choices. R18 is legal in the UK.