106-735: The TV Parental Guidelines are a television content rating system in the United States that was first proposed on December 19, 1996, by the United States Congress , the American television industry, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The guidelines went into effect by January 1, 1997, on most major broadcast and cable networks in response to public concerns about increasing amounts of mature content in television programs. It
212-591: A natural monopoly . The FCC controlled telephone rates and imposed other restrictions under Title II to limit the profits of AT&T and ensure nondiscriminatory pricing. In the 1960s, the FCC began allowing other long-distance companies, namely MCI, to offer specialized services. In the 1970s, the FCC allowed other companies to expand offerings to the public. A lawsuit in 1982 led by the Justice Department after AT&T underpriced other companies, resulted in
318-604: A "chief" that is appointed by the chair of the commission. Bureaus process applications for licenses and other filings, analyze complaints, conduct investigations, develop and implement regulations, and participate in hearings . The FCC has twelve staff offices. The FCC's offices provide support services to the bureaus. The FCC leases space in the Sentinel Square III building in northeast Washington, D.C. Prior to moving to its new headquarters in October 2020,
424-488: A TV-PG rating may include infrequent coarse language, some sexual content, some suggestive dialogue, or moderate violence. This program contains material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age. Programs contain material that parents or adult guardians may find unsuitable for children under the age of 14. The FCC warns that "parents are cautioned to exercise some care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under
530-432: A network could demand any time it wanted from a Network affiliate . The second concerned artist bureaus. The networks served as both agents and employers of artists, which was a conflict of interest the report rectified. In assigning television stations to various cities after World War II , the FCC found that it placed many stations too close to each other, resulting in interference. At the same time, it became clear that
636-416: A network's branding and design language or, for some streaming services like Netflix, Max and Disney+, merely denotes the rating and details of mature material in a program in a straight line of text. The icon was much smaller until June 2005 and only appeared on-screen for 7.5 seconds. For every rated program running an hour or longer, a rating appears in the upper-left hand corner of the television screen at
742-705: A new Federal Communications Commission, including in it also the telecommunications jurisdiction previously handled by the Interstate Commerce Commission. Title II of the Communications Act focused on telecommunications using many concepts borrowed from railroad legislation and Title III contained provisions very similar to the Radio Act of 1927 . The initial organization of the FCC was effected July 17, 1934, in three divisions, Broadcasting, Telegraph, and Telephone. Each division
848-581: A rating system that is virtually identical to Quebec 's Régie du cinéma 's film rating system , with one additional category (8+): As of 2011, programs in Colombia are regulated by the National Television Commission, and are divided into the following categories: Programmes containing Pornography or apologies for violence are not allowed to be broadcast at all in Colombia, even in the adult fringes. Since 1 September 2020,
954-410: A situation he found "perplexing". These efforts later were documented in a 2015 Harvard Case Study. In 2017, Christine Calvosa replaced Bray as the acting CIO of FCC. On January 4, 2023, the FCC voted unanimously to create a newly formed Space Bureau and Office of International Affairs within the agency, replacing the existing International Bureau. FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel explained that
1060-459: A specific identifier for children's programs) as an informal content descriptor for select TV-Y, TV-Y7, and TV-G programs that are designed to meet the educational and informative needs of children. A minimum of three hours of E/I-compliant programming must be broadcast per week by each television network, with exemptions and looser regulations applying to digital subchannels ; all E/I programs must air between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. While
1166-492: A system. They agreed that the guidelines would be applied by broadcast and cable networks in order to handle the large amount of programming that must be reviewed – some 2,000 hours a day. The guidelines would be applied episodically to all programming based on their content, except for news, sports and advertising. The same year on December 19, the industry announced the creation of the TV Parental Guidelines,
SECTION 10
#17327809775231272-516: A very young audience, including children from ages 2 to 6. This program is designed for children age 7 and above. Designed for children age 7 and older. The FCC states that it "may be more appropriate for children who have acquired the developmental skills needed to distinguish between make-believe and reality". The thematic elements portrayed in programs with this rating contain mild fantasy and comedic violence. Programs where fantasy violence may be more intense or more combative. Programs given
1378-483: A voluntary system of guidelines providing parents with information to help them make more informed choices about the television programs their children watch. The guidelines were modeled after the movie ratings system created by the Motion Picture Association of America in 1968. The television industry agreed to insert a ratings icon on-screen at the beginning of all rated programs, and to encode
1484-482: Is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio , television , wire, satellite , and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction over the areas of broadband access , fair competition , radio frequency use, media responsibility, public safety, and homeland security . The FCC was formed by the Communications Act of 1934 to replace
1590-413: Is compulsory for all MA 15+ and one-off programmes, as well as very short series classified M or higher (such as feature films , miniseries and documentaries ). When a programme carries consumer advice, appropriate abbreviations are displayed along with the classification symbol after each commercial break . In general, these abbreviations are as follows: For violence, coarse language and sex scenes,
1696-556: Is funded entirely by regulatory fees. It has an estimated fiscal-2022 budget of US $ 388 million. It has 1,482 federal employees as of July 2020. The FCC's mission, specified in Section One of the Communications Act of 1934 and amended by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (amendment to 47 U.S.C. §151), is to "make available so far as possible, to all the people of the United States, without discrimination on
1802-621: Is not available, programmes classified 18 can only be broadcast between 8.00pm and 6.00am on a daily basis and from 9.00am until 3.00pm on weekdays (school term time only). If content filtering is available, programmes classified 18 can be broadcast at any time. Explicit adult sex programmes classified 18 may screen only on premium channels. The following descriptor codes (audience advisories) may be added for programmes classified PG or higher: North Macedonia uses five symbols for each program. They are as follows: Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission ( FCC )
1908-694: Is not suitable for viewers under 16/18 years of age . The Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Fernsehen [ de ] (FSF) checks many shows in private television. In Ghana, TV series and selected TV programmes are classified by the Film Classification Committee: A new content rating system in Greece was introduced on 30 September 2019. The system is now associated with the age of viewers and has new visual symbols (replacing rhombus, circle, triangle, square and cross symbols), however, there are no mature-accompanied ratings compared to
2014-575: Is rated by the Dirección General de Radio, Televisión y Cinematografía , and consists of the following classes: The classification system of television programmes in Morocco is established by the HACA. There are 4 categories. Before the airing of the program, an off-screen voice warned at the beginning of the programme that it was unsuitable for all audiences. The television rating system in
2120-520: Is since by generic code of television programmes standard of the Broadcasting Ordinance (Cap.562) on 11 December 1995. The current ratings are: The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI)'s Broadcasting Code regulate broadcast television content that classifies television programme into several classifications: There is unofficially also a BO ( Bimbingan Orangtua , Parental Guidance) subrating often used accompanied with
2226-488: The Amazon Fire TV , Apple TV , Android TV , and Roku platforms. In the Telecommunications Act of 1996 , the United States Congress called upon the entertainment industry to establish, within one year, a voluntary television rating system to provide parents with advance information on material in television programming that might be unsuitable for their children. This rating system would work in conjunction with
SECTION 20
#17327809775232332-894: The Australian Classification Board (ACB) classifications of the same name. They're usually presented with the same shape and sometimes colour as their ACB counterparts. The AV 15+ classification was abolished after 30 November 2015. Strong impact violence is now incorporated into the MA 15+ classification. Adult "Pay Per View" only R 18+ and X 18+ restricted classifications are not permitted for free-to-air broadcast in Australia. Many R 18+ movies on DVD/Blu-ray are often edited on Free TV/cable networks, to secure an MA 15+ classification or lower. Some movies that were classified R 18+ on DVD have since been aired on Australian TV with an MA 15+ classification. Consumer advice
2438-711: The Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005 sponsored by then-Senator Sam Brownback , a former broadcaster himself, and endorsed by Congressman Fred Upton of Michigan who authored a similar bill in the United States House of Representatives . The new law stiffens the penalties for each violation of the Act. The Federal Communications Commission will be able to impose fines in the amount of $ 325,000 for each violation by each station that violates decency standards. The legislation raised
2544-503: The CBC , although it still uses such warnings) are required to air a disclaimer at the beginning of the programme and at the end of each commercial break, advising viewer discretion (such disclaimers are only required for the first hour if airing after 9:00 p.m. ). This disclaimer is technically required even if the final commercial break comes immediately before the closing credits, and some (but not all) channels in fact observe this. Notably,
2650-569: The Communications Law of Ecuador presents the following classification: The classification to which belongs each programme will be arranged by the Consejo de Regulación y Desarrollo de la Información y Comunicación (Regulatory and Development Council of Information and Communication) depending on the parameters which are considered relevant. The ratings system for television programmes shown on Finnish television channels consists of
2756-542: The Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel replaced it with a system of five pictograms, indicating the suitability of the program. This system was replaced by the current system on 18 November 2002. In Germany, every broadcaster has to show a disclaimer displaying the sentence Die nachfolgende Sendung ist für Zuschauer unter 16/18 Jahren nicht geeignet before transmission if the programme contains potentially offensive content. This roughly translates to The following programme
2862-492: The Motion Picture Association of America did not assign a rating for the film or if the channel airs an unrated version of a film. The ratings were designed to be used with the V-chip , which was mandated to be built into all television sets manufactured since 2000 (and the vast majority of cable/satellite set-top boxes ). They complement more advanced parental control systems that block by channel, program, or content, but
2968-629: The Netherlands was created in 2001 by the Dutch Institute for the Classification of Audiovisual Media (NICAM) and is known as Kijkwijzer (ViewingGuide or WatchWiser). The same rating systems are used for both television programmes and films, and serve partly as guidelines (Programmes with the classification 12, 14 and 16 years may only be broadcast from 8pm and with the classification 18 years from midnight. Cinemas and theaters in
3074-504: The United States Senate for five-year terms, except when filling an unexpired term. The U.S. president designates one of the commissioners to serve as chairman. No more than three commissioners may be members of the same political party . None of them may have a financial interest in any FCC-related business. Commissioners may continue serving until the appointment of their replacements. However, they may not serve beyond
3180-555: The V-chip , a device embedded in television sets that enables parents to block programming they determine to be inappropriate. On February 29, 1996, all segments of the entertainment industry, led by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), joined and voluntarily pledged to create such
3286-494: The breakup of the Bell System from AT&T. Beginning in 1984, the FCC implemented a new goal that all long-distance companies had equal access to the local phone companies' customers. Effective January 1, 1984, the Bell System's many member-companies were variously merged into seven independent "Regional Holding Companies", also known as Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs), or "Baby Bells". This divestiture reduced
TV Parental Guidelines - Misplaced Pages Continue
3392-870: The "FV" content descriptor exhibit more 'fantasy violence' and are generally more intense or combative than other programs rated TV-Y7. Most parents will find this program suitable for all ages. Programs are generally suitable for all audiences, though they may not necessarily contain content of interest to children. The FCC states that "this rating does not signify a program designed specifically for children, [and] most parents may let younger children watch this program unattended". The thematic elements portrayed in programs with this rating contain little or no violence, mild language, and little or no sexual dialogue or situations. This program contains material that parents may find unsuitable for younger children. Programs may contain some material that parents or guardians may find inappropriate for younger children . Programs assigned
3498-457: The 1960s All-Channel Receiver Act ), to make UHF viable against entrenched VHF stations. In markets where there were no VHF stations and UHF was the only TV service available, UHF survived. In other markets, which were too small to financially support a television station, too close to VHF outlets in nearby cities, or where UHF was forced to compete with more than one well-established VHF station, UHF had little chance for success. Denver had been
3604-657: The Apple TV platform); Hulu typically restricts on-screen ratings and content descriptors to its original programming and licensed films. On-screen ratings for original and licensed television series are featured on premium channel add-ons sold through Hulu to its VOD-only and VOD/live TV subscribers, though not on series licensed from its network and distribution partners. Rather than use the default content descriptors, other streaming services like Disney+ , Max , Amazon Prime Video and Netflix (the latter basing ratings and content information for original and some licensed series on
3710-762: The Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984, and made substantial modifications to Title VI in the Cable Television and Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992. Further modifications to promote cross-modal competition (telephone, video, etc.) were made in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, leading to the current regulatory structure. Broadcast television and radio stations are subject to FCC regulations including restrictions against indecency or obscenity. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held, beginning soon after
3816-522: The FCC a legal basis for imposing net neutrality rules (see below), after earlier attempts to impose such rules on an "information service" had been overturned in court. In 2005, the FCC formally established the following principles: To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, Consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet content of their choice; Consumers are entitled to run applications and use services of their choice, subject to
3922-587: The FCC in the newly created post of associate general counsel/chief diversity officer. Numerous controversies have surrounded the city of license concept as the internet has made it possible to broadcast a single signal to every owned station in the nation at once, particularly when Clear Channel, now IHeartMedia , became the largest FM broadcasting corporation in the US after the Telecommunications Act of 1996 became law - owning over 1,200 stations at its peak. As part of its license to buy more radio stations, Clear Channel
4028-437: The FCC indicated that the public largely believed that the severe consolidation of media ownership had resulted in harm to diversity, localism, and competition in media, and was harmful to the public interest. David A. Bray joined the commission in 2013 as chief information officer and quickly announced goals of modernizing the FCC's legacy information technology (IT) systems, citing 200 different systems for only 1750 people
4134-563: The FCC leased space in the Portals building in southwest Washington, D.C. Construction of the Portals building was scheduled to begin on March 1, 1996. In January 1996, the General Services Administration signed a lease with the building's owners, agreeing to let the FCC lease 450,000 sq ft (42,000 m ) of space in Portals for 20 years, at a cost of $ 17.3 million per year in 1996 dollars. Prior to
4240-403: The FCC said that nearly 55 million Americans did not have access to broadband capable of delivering high-quality voice, data, graphics and video offerings. On February 26, 2015, the FCC reclassified broadband Internet access as a telecommunications service, thus subjecting it to Title II regulation, although several exemptions were also created. The reclassification was done in order to give
4346-459: The FCC's re-allocation map of stations did not come until April 1952, with July 1, 1952, as the official beginning of licensing new stations. Other FCC actions hurt the fledgling DuMont and ABC networks. American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) forced television coaxial cable users to rent additional radio long lines , discriminating against DuMont, which had no radio network operation. DuMont and ABC protested AT&T's television policies to
TV Parental Guidelines - Misplaced Pages Continue
4452-520: The FCC, "may call for parental guidance and/or the program may contain one or more of the following" sub-ratings, designated with an alphabetic letter: Up to four content descriptors can be applied alongside an assigned rating, depending on the kind of suggestive content featured in a program; the FV descriptor is an exception due to its sole use for the TV-Y7 rating, which can have no descriptor other than FV. As
4558-514: The FCC, which regulated AT&T's long-line charges, but the commission took no action. The result was that financially marginal DuMont was spending as much in long-line charge as CBS or NBC while using only about 10 to 15 percent of the time and mileage of either larger network. The FCC's "Sixth Report & Order" ended the Freeze. It took five years for the US to grow from 108 stations to more than 550. New stations came on line slowly, only five by
4664-591: The Industry Video Programming Rating System was acceptable, and adopted technical requirements for the V-chip. In June 2021, creators, writers, and directors of TV animation in a report for the website Insider said that one of the forms of pressure to have less overt depiction of LGBTQ+ characters or culture was the TV Parental Guidelines system, resulting in domestic and international content being cut out of episodes. One of
4770-460: The Internet, cable services and wireless services has raised questions whether new legislative initiatives are needed as to competition in what has come to be called 'broadband' services. Congress has monitored developments but as of 2009 has not undertaken a major revision of applicable regulation. The Local Community Radio Act in the 111th Congress has gotten out of committee and will go before
4876-463: The Media Council for Children and Young People ( Medierådet for Børn og Unge ) classifies all programmes and films for television broadcast and video-on-demand release, using the same rating system also used for theatrically released films and home media releases. On television, the age limit must be informed orally before the programme starts or continues. The clear rating should be shown during
4982-567: The Portals, the FCC had space in six buildings at and around 19th Street NW and M Street NW. The FCC first solicited bids for a new headquarters complex in 1989. In 1991 the GSA selected the Portals site. The FCC had wanted to move into a more expensive area along Pennsylvania Avenue . In 1934, Congress passed the Communications Act , which abolished the Federal Radio Commission and transferred jurisdiction over radio licensing to
5088-460: The TV rating prior to the program starting, along with audibly repeating the same, with the reason for the rating (e.g. suggestive dialogue, drug and alcohol abuse, language, sexual situations, violence, nudity) and strongly cautioning parents to decide whether the program is suitable for their children. Several channels (including USA Network and AMC ) insert special caution boards for horror programs at
5194-492: The United States accelerated an already ongoing shift in the FCC towards a decidedly more market-oriented stance. A number of regulations felt to be outdated were removed, most controversially the Fairness Doctrine in 1987. In terms of indecency fines, there was no action taken by the FCC on the case FCC v. Pacifica until 1987, about ten years after the landmark United States Supreme Court decision that defined
5300-585: The above ratings (P-BO, A-BO, or R-BO). The KPI Broadcasting Code does not regulate the BO rating; instead it requires broadcasters to show a "viewer discretion advised" card before the beginning of a P, A, or R-rated program; however many broadcasters does not show this card. In addition, all films and advertisements broadcast in Indonesia must be rated by the Film Censorship Agency (LSF) and use
5406-414: The age of 14 watch unattended". Programs with this rating contain intensely suggestive dialogue, strong coarse language, intense sexual situations or intense violence. This program is specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17. Contains content that may be unsuitable for children. This rating was originally TV-M prior to the announced revisions to
SECTION 50
#17327809775235512-422: The basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex, rapid, efficient, nationwide, and world-wide wire and radio communication services with adequate facilities at reasonable charges." The act furthermore provides that the FCC was created "for the purpose of the national defense" and "for the purpose of promoting safety of life and property through the use of wire and radio communications." Consistent with
5618-486: The beginning of each half-hour. Starting in June 2005, many networks now display the ratings after every commercial break, in addition to the beginning of the program. Ratings icons formerly appeared in the 4:3 safe area , even with a 16:9 HD-designed presentation, but have since gravitated to the corner of the 16:9 picture. Some programs may voluntarily display a disclaimer regarding the show's objectionable content with
5724-572: The book value of AT&T by approximately 70%. The FCC initially exempted "information services" such as broadband Internet access from regulation under Title II. The FCC held that information services were distinct from telecommunications services that are subject to common carrier regulation. However, Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 required the FCC to help accelerate deployment of "advanced telecommunications capability" which included high-quality voice, data, graphics, and video, and to regularly assess its availability. In August 2015,
5830-401: The case of longer programmes that do not start on the hour, some broadcasters show the rating at the start and at the top of each subsequent clock hour, while others show the rating at the start and again precisely one hour later. However, there are some networks like Global that only display the television rating at the beginning of the show. The icons are displayed in the upper-left corner and
5936-444: The commission in 1934 comprised the following seven members: The complete list of commissioners is available on the FCC website. Frieda B. Hennock (D-NY) was the first female commissioner of the FCC in 1948. The FCC regulates broadcast stations, repeater stations as well as commercial broadcasting operators who operate and repair certain radiotelephone , radio and television stations. Broadcast licenses are to be renewed if
6042-534: The content and reporting the suitability of television programmes for minors . Many countries have their own television rating system and countries' rating processes vary by local priorities. Programmes are rated by the organization that manages the system, the broadcaster , or the content producers. A rating is usually set for each individual episode of a television series . The rating can change per episode, network , rerun, and country. As such, programme ratings are usually not meaningful unless when and where
6148-524: The content to guarantee that the rating is appropriate for that specific show. On broadcast networks, where the system is mandatory, the ratings are also translated in Brazilian Sign Language , and may also carry content descriptors. The icons must be shown at the start of each block of the show, and their respective promos. All rating is advisory unlike films. The Brazilian content rating system utilizes age-specific classifications (with
6254-414: The conversion, Congress established a federally sponsored DTV Converter Box Coupon Program for two free converters per household. The FCC regulates telecommunications services under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934. Title II imposes common carrier regulation under which carriers offering their services to the general public must provide services to all customers and may not discriminate based on
6360-425: The country cannot provide films with the classification 16 years to people under the age of 16). They are the same as Dutch film ratings. The following age ratings apply: There are also six descriptor icons used: On 1 May 2020, New Zealand realigned its television content rating system to a common system for free-to-air television, subscription television and on-demand services: The last three ratings replaced
6466-616: The criticisms was that the rarely updated guidelines offer no guidance on LGBTQ+ representation and the ratings are only changed "in the face of complaints". The direct description of each rating from the TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board is listed above the extended ratings description in italics. This program is designed to be appropriate for all children. Designed to be appropriate for children of all ages. The thematic elements portrayed in programs with this rating are specifically designed for
SECTION 60
#17327809775236572-541: The descriptors were specifically developed for the Parental Guidelines system, Apple TV (except for some subscription add-ons sold through its Apple TV Channels marketplace) applies the system's descriptors to theatrically released films rated under the Motion Picture Association 's proprietary ratings system , in lieu of other content advisory descriptions (such as the more specific advisory system used by premium cable services, including those sold through
6678-427: The designated VHF channels, 2 through 13, were inadequate for nationwide television service. As a result, the FCC stopped giving out construction permits for new licenses in October 1948, under the direction of Chairman Rosel H. Hyde . Most expected this "Freeze" to last six months, but as the allocation of channels to the emerging UHF technology and the eagerly awaited possibilities of color television were debated,
6784-421: The end of November 1952. The Sixth Report and Order required some existing television stations to change channels, but only a few existing VHF stations were required to move to UHF, and a handful of VHF channels were deleted altogether in smaller media markets like Peoria , Fresno , Bakersfield and Fort Wayne, Indiana to create markets which were UHF "islands." The report also set aside a number of channels for
6890-552: The end of commercial breaks, almost always occurring before a series uses the word " fuck " in uncensored dialogue. Viewer discretion advisories are mostly used for programs rated TV-MA or series where most episodes are TV-14-rated with lighter content. They are also commonly used for television broadcasts of theatrical films; this, however, depends highly on the content and rating (alternatively, said content might also be edited out). Television content rating system Television content rating systems are systems for evaluating
6996-413: The end of the next session of Congress following term expiration. In practice, this means that commissioners may serve up to 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 years beyond the official term expiration listed above if no replacement is appointed. This would end on the date that Congress adjourns its annual session, generally no later than noon on January 3. The FCC is organized into seven bureaus, each headed by
7102-489: The end of the digital television transition. After delaying the original deadlines of 2006, 2008, and eventually February 17, 2009, on concerns about elderly and rural folk, on June 12, 2009, all full-power analog terrestrial TV licenses in the U.S. were terminated as part of the DTV transition , leaving terrestrial television available only from digital channels and a few low-power LPTV stations. To help U.S. consumers through
7208-1007: The entire transmission time or a minimum first five minutes, and must be available in programme listings. Films and series on VOD services must have age ratings and mention the content in them that explains why the content was given its rating. The location of the rating is up to the individual provider as long as it is visible to the consumer before choosing a film or program. This television classification system only applies to domestic television channels and VOD services, such as DR , TV 2 , TV3 , Kanal 4 and Viaplay . As such, it does not apply to foreign television channels and VOD services, including international streaming services such as Netflix , Max and Disney+ . The requirements apply to all programming outside of news & current affairs; music; sports; live telecasts; instructional & leisure programmes; programming of nonprofit political or religious nature; preface of programmes; and teaching & research programmes. The ratings are: Article 65 of
7314-478: The exception of L-rated programming), and generally follow the film ratings. However, unlike with films, television programmes can be rated by the broadcaster with the need to formally submit them for a rating, although the Department of Justice, Ratings, Titles and Qualification (DEJUS) reserves the right to revise the rating. Ratings assigned by the broadcaster mirror those assigned by DEJUS, but are preceded by
7420-423: The fine ten times over the previous maximum of $ 32,500 per violation. The FCC has established rules limiting the national share of media ownership of broadcast radio or television stations. It has also established cross-ownership rules limiting ownership of a newspaper and broadcast station in the same market, in order to ensure a diversity of viewpoints in each market and serve the needs of each local market. In
7526-598: The first post-Freeze construction permits. KFEL (now KWGN-TV )'s first regular telecast was on July 21, 1952. In 1996, Congress enacted the Telecommunications Act of 1996 , in the wake of the breakup of AT&T resulting from the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust suit against AT&T. The legislation attempted to create more competition in local telephone service by requiring Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers to provide access to their facilities for Competitive Local Exchange Carriers . This policy has thus far had limited success and much criticism. The development of
7632-520: The following mandatory age classifications: Programmes with an age rating may contain an additional marker for violence (a fist), sex (the male and female symbols), fear (a spider), or substance abuse (a syringe). A content rating system in French is regulated by the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA). Each rating icon is translucent and, as of December 2012, is shown for the whole duration of
7738-511: The former AO (Adults Only) classification. On free-to-air television, programmes classified M can be broadcast between 9.00am and 3.00pm on weekdays (school term time only, as designated by the Ministry of Education) and from 7.30pm until 5.00am on a daily basis. Programmes classified 16 can only be broadcast after the 8.30pm watershed, while programmes classified 18 can only be broadcast after 9.30pm. On pay television, where content filtering
7844-402: The guidelines for use with the V-chip. The industry also created a Monitoring Board, composed of TV industry experts, to ensure accuracy, uniformity and consistency of the guidelines and to consider any public questions about the guideline applied to a particular program. The TV Parental Guidelines went into use on January 1, 1997. In response to calls to provide additional content information in
7950-426: The guidelines themselves have no legal force, and are not used on sports or news programs or during commercial advertisements . Many online television services, such as Disney+ , Hulu , Netflix , Amazon Prime Video , Peacock , Paramount+ , Max and Fandango at Home also use the guidelines system, along with digital video vendors such as the iTunes Store and Google Play , and digital media players , including
8056-435: The house floor with bi-partisan support, and unanimous support of the FCC. By passing the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress also eliminated the cap on the number of radio stations any one entity could own nationwide and also substantially loosened local radio station ownership restrictions. Substantial radio consolidation followed. Restrictions on ownership of television stations were also loosened. Public comments to
8162-446: The identity of the customer or the content of the communication. This is similar to and adapted from the regulation of transportation providers (railroad, airline, shipping, etc.) and some public utilities. Wireless carriers providing telecommunications services are also generally subject to Title II regulation except as exempted by the FCC. The FCC regulates interstate telephone services under Title II. The Telecommunications Act of 1996
8268-470: The intensity and/or frequency is mentioned in front of the consumer advice. These include: "mild", "stylised", "some", "frequent" or "strong". Example: "strong sex scenes". A television content rating system in Brazil was implemented following a consultation in 2006. Since then, the television networks themselves rate the shows, while the indicative rating ( Portuguese : Classificação Indicativa ) judges
8374-527: The largest U.S. city without a TV station by 1952. Senator Edwin Johnson (D-Colorado), chair of the Senate's Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee , had made it his personal mission to make Denver the first post-Freeze station. The senator had pressured the FCC, and proved ultimately successful as the first new station (a VHF station) came on-line a remarkable ten days after the commission formally announced
8480-520: The letter "A". The Canadian TV Classification System was created in late 1997 for English-language programmes to use, which lined up with those of the American v-chip, both matching that system and allowing television manufacturers to use the same backbone firmware for both systems. The upper-right corner of symbols are shaped like the corner of a maple leaf , as is used in the national flag , and are rendered in black and white. The icons are intended to be shown once an hour lasting 15 seconds, although in
8586-492: The move was done to improve the FCC's "coordination across the federal government" and to "support the 21st-century satellite industry." The decision to establish the Space Bureau was reportedly done to improve the agency's capacity to regulate Satellite Internet access . The new bureau officially launched on April 11, 2023. The commissioners of the FCC are: The initial group of FCC commissioners after establishment of
8692-503: The negative effects of media concentration and consolidation on racial-ethnic diversity in staffing and programming. At these Latino town hall meetings, the issue of the FCC's lax monitoring of obscene and pornographic material in Spanish-language radio and the lack of racial and national-origin diversity among Latino staff in Spanish-language television were other major themes. President Barack Obama appointed Mark Lloyd to
8798-482: The newly emerging field of educational television , which hindered struggling ABC and DuMont 's quest for affiliates in the more desirable markets where VHF channels were reserved for non-commercial use. The Sixth Report and Order also provided for the "intermixture" of VHF and UHF channels in most markets; UHF transmitters in the 1950s were not yet powerful enough, nor receivers sensitive enough (if they included UHF tuners at all - they were not formally required until
8904-473: The objectives of the act as well as the 1999 Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), the FCC has identified four goals in its 2018–22 Strategic Plan. They are: Closing the Digital Divide, Promoting Innovation, Protecting Consumers & Public Safety, and Reforming the FCC's Processes. The FCC is directed by five commissioners appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by
9010-584: The passage of the Communications Act of 1934, that the inherent scarcity of radio spectrum allows the government to impose some types of content restrictions on broadcast license holders notwithstanding the First Amendment. Cable and satellite providers are also subject to some content regulations under Title VI of the Communications Act such as the prohibition on obscenity, although the limitations are not as restrictive compared to broadcast stations. The 1981 inauguration of Ronald Reagan as President of
9116-473: The power of the FCC over indecent material as applied to broadcasting. After the 1990s had passed, the FCC began to increase its censorship and enforcement of indecency regulations in the early 2000s to include a response to the Janet Jackson " wardrobe malfunction " that occurred during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII . Then on June 15, 2006, President George W. Bush signed into law
9222-505: The previous system. The ratings are compulsory and are displayed and verbally announced at the beginning of each broadcast. These provisions are enforced by the Greek National Council for Radio and Television (ESR). Also, programmes suitable for ages 12 and up will be accompanied by a special word marker identifying their content, which is divided into the following four categories: The Hong Kong television rating system
9328-426: The program's overall maturity level, rather than on an episode-to-episode basis) may provide more concise detail of the thematic material in a particular title alongside the title’s rating. For the first 15 seconds of every rated program lasting a half-hour or less, a large rating icon appears in the upper-left hand corner of the screen; previously this had a common design using a universal icon, but now often goes with
9434-654: The radio regulation functions of the previous Federal Radio Commission . The FCC took over wire communication regulation from the Interstate Commerce Commission . The FCC's mandated jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia , and the territories of the United States . The FCC also provides varied degrees of cooperation, oversight, and leadership for similar communications bodies in other countries in North America. The FCC
9540-518: The rating increases pertaining to the age, the content matters generally get more intensive. These descriptors allow for 44 possible combinations for all the ratings total. The "suggestive dialogue" descriptor is used for TV-PG and TV-14 rated programs only, but rarely TV-MA. The violence descriptor was used for TV-Y7 programs from August 1997 until the creation of the 'FV' descriptor later that year. Unofficially, broadcast television networks and syndicators have sparingly applied " E/I " (separately used as
9646-400: The rating is used is mentioned. A comparison of current television content rating systems, showing age on the horizontal axis. Note however that the specific criteria used in assigning a classification can vary widely from one country to another. Thus a color code or age range cannot be directly compared from one country to another. Key: Classifications are intended to be equivalent to
9752-809: The rating system in August 1997 but was changed due to a trademark dispute and in order to remove confusion with the Entertainment Software Rating Board 's (ESRB) "M for Mature" rating for video games . This rating is rarely used by broadcast networks or local television stations due to FCC restrictions on program content, although it is commonly applied to television programs featured on certain cable channels (basic and premium networks) and streaming networks for both mainstream and softcore programs. Programs with this rating may include crude indecent language, explicit sexual activity and graphic violence. Some thematic elements, according to
9858-607: The ratings provided by the LSF to rate those films and advertisements broadcast. Although the Broadcasting Code only requires films and advertisements to be rated by the LSF prior to broadcast, many broadcasters opted to have all prerecorded programs (not just films and advertisements) to be rated by the LSF and use the ratings given by the LSF on rating those programs. The classification system of television programmes in Mexico
9964-422: The ratings system, on August 1, 1997, the television industry, in conjunction with representatives of children's and medical advocacy groups, announced revisions to the rating system. Under this revised system, television programming would continue to fall into one of the six ratings categories (TV-Y, TV-Y7, TV-G, TV-PG, TV-14 or TV-MA), but content descriptors would be added to the ratings where appropriate, based on
10070-650: The report was the breakup of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), which ultimately led to the creation of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), but there were two other important points. One was network option time, the culprit here being the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). The report limited the amount of time during the day and at what times the networks may broadcast. Previously
10176-960: The second half of 2006, groups such as the National Hispanic Media Coalition, the National Latino Media Council, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the National Institute for Latino Policy , the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and others held town hall meetings in California, New York and Texas on media diversity as its effects Latinos and minority communities. They documented widespread and deeply felt community concerns about
10282-439: The show. There initially was no ratings system for French television . In March 1961, following the broadcast of a film where a female nude was briefly visible, the "white square" was introduced. A white square, replaced by a white rectangle in 1964, was displayed in the corner of the screen. An off-screen voice warned at the beginning of the programme that it was unsuitable for all audiences. This system continued until 1996 when
10388-417: The size is mandated to be a minimum of 52 scan lines or pixels tall, and must also fully cover an American ratings icon if burned-in or broadcast live by an American broadcaster. Additionally, should a programme contain content potentially unsuitable for some viewers, such as violence, coarse language, or nudity, members of the self-regulating Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (which does not include
10494-443: The size of the icons would be increased. The revised guidelines were supported by leading family and child advocacy groups, as well as television broadcasters, cable systems and networks, and television production companies. Finally, the revised proposal called for five representatives of the advocacy community to be added to the TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board. On March 12, 1998, the Federal Communications Commission found that
10600-435: The station meets the "public interest, convenience, or necessity". The FCC's enforcement powers include fines and broadcast license revocation (see FCC MB Docket 04-232). Burden of proof would be on the complainant in a petition to deny. The FCC first promulgated rules for cable television in 1965, with cable and satellite television now regulated by the FCC under Title VI of the Communications Act. Congress added Title VI in
10706-433: The television rating given may depend on the level of cable and satellite , or if the programme is broadcast over-the-air . Also, television ratings are generally considered more restrictive than movie ratings . The Canadian rating system for English-language broadcasters (as well as third-language broadcasters, which broadcast in a language other than English or French) is as follows: French-language broadcasters use
10812-403: The type(s) of objectionable content included in the individual program or episode: D (suggestive dialogue), L (coarse language), S (sexual content), V (violence) and FV (fantasy violence – a descriptor exclusively for use in the TV-Y7 category). Further, the proposal stated that the icons and associated content symbols would appear for 15 seconds at the beginning of all rated programming, and that
10918-469: Was established as a voluntary-participation system, with ratings to be determined by the individual participating broadcast and cable networks. The ratings are generally applied to most television series, television films and edited broadcast or basic cable versions of theatrically released films. Premium channels also assign ratings from the TV Parental Guidelines on broadcasts of some films that have been released theatrically or on home video , either if
11024-441: Was forced to divest all TV stations. To facilitate the adoption of digital television, the FCC issued a second digital TV (DTV) channel to each holder of an analog TV station license. All stations were required to buy and install all new equipment ( transmitters , TV antennas, and even entirely new broadcast towers ), and operate for years on both channels. Each licensee was required to return one of their two channels following
11130-560: Was led by two of the seven commissioners, with the FCC chairman being a member of each division. The organizing meeting directed the divisions to meet on July 18, July 19, and July 20, respectively. In 1940, the Federal Communications Commission issued the "Report on Chain Broadcasting " which was led by new FCC chairman James Lawrence Fly (and Telford Taylor as general counsel). The major point in
11236-471: Was the first major legislative reform since the 1934 act and took several steps to de-regulate the telephone market and promote competition in both the local and long-distance marketplace. The important relationship of the FCC and the American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) Company evolved over the decades. For many years, the FCC and state officials agreed to regulate the telephone system as
#522477