Spain

[ES] Government and TV Channels Agree to Set up Co-regulatory Code for the Protection of Minors

IRIS 2005-2:1/20

Alberto Pérez Gómez

Entidad publica empresarial RED.ES

During the last general elections (March 2004), the quality of Spanish TV programmes was hotly debated. Many argued that there are too many gossip programmes, full of artificial debates and shouting. This kind of programming, which is known as telebasura (telerubbish), is also shown at times in which many children may see such broadcasts. The Spanish Government has decided to try to tackle this problem. One of the measures adopted has been to set-up, together with the main national TV broadcasters, a co-regulatory code on the protection of minors. On 9 December 2004, this code was signed by the Spanish Government and the broadcasters TVE, Antena 3, Telecinco and Sogecable. The code complements the Spanish legislation, which already forbids broadcasters from showing programmes which are likely to impair the development of minors, unless they are broadcast between 22:00 and 06:00. Broadcasters are also required to label their programmes according to age groups. The code establishes a new watershed, in order to provide additional protection to minors under 13 years. The broadcasters, by signing the code, commit themselves not to show programmes which are likely to be harmful for children under 13 during the following hours: a) from Monday to Friday: between 08:00 and 09:00, and between 17:00 to 20:00; and b) on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays: from 09:00 to 12:00. The code also includes some additional measures concerning labelling of TV programmes, as well as the setting up of a Committee that will monitor the application of the co-regulatory code by the signatories.