Bulgaria

[BG] Changing criteria for assessing unfavourable media content for children

IRIS 2018-1:1/13

Rayna Nikolova

New Bulgarian University

At the end of September, the Council for Electronic Media (CEM) accepted an amendment to the Rating Criteria of Content that is unfavourable for or threatens to impair the physical, mental, moral and/or social development of children regarding cinematographic works (See: IRIS 2012-2:1/10). The CEM announced them recently. The following differentiations have been made:

- Cinematographic works, films and series, and other audiovisual works, which are not recommended for children under 12 years of age, may be broadcasted throughout the whole duration of media service providers' programmes.
- Cinematographic works, films and series, and other audiovisual works, which are not recommended for children under 14 years of age, may be broadcasted in programmes of media service providers between 9:00 pm and 6:00 am.
- Cinematographic works, films and series, and other audiovisual works, which are not recommended for children under 16 years of age, may be broadcasted in programmes of media service providers between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am.
- Cinematographic works, films and series, and other audiovisual works, which are not recommended for children under 18 years of age, may be broadcasted in programmes of media service providers between 11:00 pm and 6:00 am.

In all aforementioned cases, these audiovisual works must be clearly labelled with an audio and/or audiovisual sign preceding them or must be identified by a visual warning sign (pictogram), which appears after the start of the programme and after each interruption, and which stays on the screen for not less than 60 seconds.