Media Classification

Television and Radio

Email this to a friend

Printable version

MDA adopts a co-regulation strategy with broadcasters and programmes are not pre-censored. Broadcasters are guided by MDA’s Programme, Advertising & Sponsorship Codes which reflect community standards. The codes require broadcasters to maintain quality programming and appropriate standards of public broadcast. For information about the specific codes, Click for information about the specific codes for Television or Radio.

Broadcasting Standards

MDA’s main concerns with broadcasting standards for programmes cover:

Public Morals & Social Values
Racial & Religious Harmony
Family Viewing Policy (Free-to-Air channels)
Children’s Programmes
Crime & Violence
Language

The advertising codes are put in place to ensure that:

advertisements are legal, truthful, decent and contain shared values;
claims should not mislead;
claims should be substantiated;
advertisting is clearly distinguishable from factual programmes;
advertisements are appropriately scheduled;

MDA’s advertising code also makes reference to the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (SCAP) issued by the industry self-regulatory body, the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS).

Family Viewing Hours and PG-Rated Programmes on Free-To-Air Channels

In order to prevent materials unsuitable for children from being broadcast at times when there may be a large audience of young viewers, all programmes scheduled between 6am and 10pm on Free-to-Air TV channels, which are available in almost all homes, must be suitable for family audiences.

Programmes that are rated PG (Parental Guidance) could contain themes or content which may require some guidance from parents or guardians. While there are no time restrictions on the scheduling of PG-rated programmes, the broadcasters are required to rate the programme clearly and provide the appropriate viewing advisory.

Programmes given the PG 13 (Parental Guidance 13) rating contain more mature themes and/or scenes compared to PG programmes. These are therefore only allowed after 10 pm on Free-to-Air TV channels. Similarly, broadcasters are required to rate the programmes clearly and provide the appropriate viewing advisory.

To keep parents informed, the ratings and viewing advisories of these programmes should be shown before the programme and after each commercial break. They should also be reflected in the listings/schedules in newspaper/magazines, online (i.e. channels’ web pages) as well as in the Electronic Programme Guides (EPG).

Rated Programmes on Subscription Television Channels and Video-On-Demand (VOD)

Taking into consideration that viewers consciously choose and pay for content on subscription TV channels and VOD and to allow for greater viewing choices, programmes which are rated up to NC 16 (not for children under 16) and M 18 (mature 18) are available on these platforms. While there are no time restrictions for NC16 programmes on channels with scheduled programming, M18 rated programmes can only be aired between 10 pm and 6 am.

The classification guidelines used draw reference from the Board of Film Censors (BFC) film classification system.

Parental Lock on Television

The parental lock feature offered by pay-TV broadcasters allows subscribers to limit the access to channels so that parents can guide their children’s viewing habits. For more information on the parental lock features offered by Pay TV broadcasters, please visit:

SingTel mio TV (mio TV Quick Guide)
StarHub (Guide to Digital Cable Applications)