Viewers support watershed in digital age

Television viewers expect and want to see the 9pm watershed continue, says a new report from the BBC, Broadcasting Standards Commission (BSC) and Independent Television Commission (ITC).
There is strong support for the watershed as the point at which programme content can become progressively more adult in tone.
The report, "The Watershed: Providing A Safe Viewing Zone" shows that viewers want broadcasters to comply with the watershed principle. They would also like to see more information about programme content made available through listings in magazines and newspapers, and through details on the EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) and on screen.
Even households without children (the large majority) were in favour of there being a watershed, rather than be unregulated along the lines of the Internet. Some viewers surveyed felt that some soaps were trying to push the boundaries of what should be permitted before the watershed.
Protecting children from unsuitable material is the reason most often given for maintaining the watershed: 95% of adults thought that this was why the watershed should remain, and 72% of children surveyed agreed.
Awareness of the watershed is high, particularly among parents, although there is some uncertainty as to whether it applies to cable and satellite channels - it does.
All the parents surveyed have some form of control over their children's viewing and there is most concern about children aged between 8 and 12 who are thought to be the most impressionable and vulnerable to influence from television content. Younger children's viewing is easier to control and parents feel that more adult material is 'over their heads'. By the time a child has reached their teens, parents feel that they are mature enough to cope with more adult content, and control shifts accordingly.
The watershed plays a particularly crucial role in providing a safe viewing environment for younger children, according to parents.
As children get older, they are likely to be up beyond the 9pm watershed and to have televisions in their rooms, so parents find additional ways to control their children's viewing, such as switching channels or removing the television aerial from the bedrooms at a certain time.
The watershed then becomes a useful indicator of the kind of programming that may take place. The kinds of material which cause parents most concern regarding their children's viewing are those with violence, sex and swearing.
While adults did not claim to use the watershed to regulate their own viewing, there is a broad understanding that programmes after 9pm may contain stronger material, although the context and tone of the programme determines whether such material is acceptable or not to the adult viewer. They appreciate that this is a gradual progression, a 'watershed not waterfall' so, for example, ITC rules state that a 15 certificate film can be scheduled at 9pm, but 10pm is the earliest for an 18 certificate film.
(GB)