Classification and protecting community standards on subscription television.
Under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, the primary responsibility for ensuring that programs broadcast on subscription television (STV) reflect community standards rests with the STV platforms and channel providers, under a system of industry-developed codes of practice.
ASTRA has developed the subscription television codes in consultation with the federal government regulator, the Australian Communications Media Authority (ACMA). Code 3 of the Subscription Broadcast Television Codes of Practice deals with program classification.
The codes are available here
Under the ASTRA Codes, programs on STV are classified according to the National Classification Code using the Guidelines for the Classification of Films and Computer Games. The Guidelines contain descriptions of each of the categories, indicating the most suitable audience. Each classification category contains a list of the criteria (classifiable elements) used by Classifiers when making classification decisions. These Guidelines are also used by the Classification Board, the Commonwealth body responsible for the classification of theatrical films, DVDs, video, computer games and certain publications
Classification markings are the coloured classification symbols and words that represent each of the classifications: G, PG, M, MA 15+ and R 18+. Electronic copies of the classification marking are available to download from the Classification Board website.
Classification Board website.
Classification Training
The Classifications Operations Branch (COB), part of the Attorney General’s Department, provides a content assessment training course which covers general classification training for content under Schedule 7 of the Broadcasting Services Act. Information on the Trained Content Assessors (TCA) course can be found here.
The STV industry and the Attorney-General’s Department have worked to develop a content assessor course tailored for the needs of STV. Known as the TCA-TV course, all STV employees who are involved with the production and scheduling of programs and program promotions should attend.
Policy Developments
Australian Law Reform Commission National Classification Scheme Review
The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) is conducting a review of classification in Australia. The review is considering changes in technology, media convergence and the global availability of media content. Terry Flew, Professor of Media and Communications at the Queensland University of Technology, heads the review. The Final Report of the review is due 31 January 2012.
Further information is available on the ALRC Website.
Information on the National Classification Scheme is available on the Australian Government’s Classification website.
ASTRA submissions to the ALRC Review:
Inquiry by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee into the classification scheme
On 23 June 2011, the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee tabled its final report into its inquiry into the national classification scheme. The report is available on the Committee’s website.
ASTRA made a submission to this review in March 2011.