Search results : 1127

The Annual Report of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) was published on 13 August. The Report proposes a fresh approach to the control of pornography in the UK, largely in the light of the failure to stem the burgeoning black market in violently pornographic videos. The Report suggests that licensed sex shops should be freer to sell explicit videos, provided they do not include violence or any paedophile element. In general, the Report argues that the current obscenity laws do not work, foster a demand that cannot be met legally and force police and magistrates to act as "surrogate...

France is successfully combating the problems of tobacco and alcohol abuse. The Act of 10 January 1991 laid down a blanket prohibition of advertising for tobacco and alcohol on both public- and private-sector television. On radio, the rules for advertising alcoholic drinks are slightly more flexible for private radio stations than for Radio France, the national public-service radio station. For private stations, a decree of 23 September 1992 permits the advertising of alcoholic drinks of less than 1.2° strength on Wednesdays (children's day) between midnight and 7 a.m. only and on other days between...

In IRIS 1998-5: 15, we gave notice of a Government Bill, introduced into Parliament, intended to abrogate the provisions of the law No 161 of 21 April 1962 (Articles 6, 8 and 9), which still permit to subject the distribution of films in cinemas to the prior consent of a Government Commission. Furthermore, the Commission is charged with the decision of whether a film may be offered to children up to 14 or 18 years old. The text of the draft Bill is now available with its introductory report. According to the Government, the relevant provisions of the law No 161 are based on an interpretation of...

At the beginning of June the Broadcasting Standards Commission published a revised Code of Guidance on Taste and Decency. Production of a code on standards of taste and decency is a statutory requirement placed upon the Commission by Parliament under sections 107 and 108 of the Broadcasting Act 1996. The first code on standards was published by the former Broadcasting Standards Council in 1989. The Commission has now re-written its code on taste and decency because it believes some current warnings are not straightforward enough. The code points out that programmes can cause particular offence...

Under the Advertising Act, which came into force on 1 September last year, the advertising of alcohol and tobacco products, previously prohibited, is now legal for the first time - although the media had widely ignored the ban, even before the new act took effect. In its introductory section, the act defines "advertising" (Section 2 g); and goes on to prohibit advertising which offends against personal honour, incites violence or conduct harmful to the environment, endangers public safety or exploits fear (Section 4). Advertising aimed at minors must not interfere with their physical, moral or...