Media regulation- Debates and perspectives (REVISION)

BBFC - Films
Ofcom - Television
Pegi - Games
DCMS - The Department for Culture, Media & Sport

Research controversies (recent) surrounding TV, film and games. Recent = the last 5 years or so.

Censorship in the UK is medium specific. Different form of medium/media has its own regulating body e.g. films = BBFC, games = Pegi etc. The internet and new media has changed this. The internet has beaten this, if ANYONE looks hard enough, they will be able to find any film they want. There are films in Britain that have been given an 18 but in other countries they are 12's or 15's.

(Medium - film, games, tv etc)

The BBFC have guidelines instead of rules. Ofcom has rules, because a much wider and diverse audience can watch anything on TV - before watershed (9pm) certain things cannot be shown.

In 2003 Ofcom was created to regulate TV. Before Ofcom, there were other organisations that regulated the TV such as, the BBFC, BBC, ITC, OfTel, RA, OFT, BSC.

The main problem is that the internet gets around the laws that regulate films and TV. Another problem with media regulation is the 'media effects' debate. The problem is that the theories do and don't work - different effects work/don't work on different people.

BUT films, and increasingly video games are being blamed for violence in society.
Should regulation be in the hands of individuals/parents instead of institutions? But this is a contradiction.

In 1998 - DCMS committee set up an enquiry into online regulation. Problems of access. If it's taken down from one place it'll be put up somewhere else. There is no international law.

1990s - Rupert Murdoch removed the BBC's World Service Television channel from his star satellite system.

2010 - Google accused China of hacking into it. So removed China from it.

The BBFC's research has found that audience are less concerned about sex on films but more concerned about violence and drug-taking. Now, more films being passed at 18 certificate featuring explicit sexual scenes.

R18 films cannot be shown at all on regular TV. It would have to be a special subscription channel.

Is there any point of the BBFC?
Will Ofcom replace it eventually?
Or
Will regulation shift subtly towards information and education?

However, it is new forms of interactive media which will cause concern for the censors in the future.

The current video game debate is the same as the 'video nasty' debate in the 1980's.

Future content regulation will focus more on video games and interactive media.