09 May 2012

Call For Age-Ratings On Music DVDs

The government is planning to consult of whether music DVDs should carry movie-style age ratings.

There are also proposals for online music videos to have warnings if they contain explicit content.

The new proposals follow a review last year by Reg Bailey into the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood.

Last summer, Mr Bailey published a government-commissioned report addressing parental concerns that children were growing up surrounded by too much sexualised imagery.

It reflected fears that parents could not protect their children from inappropriate images, such as over-sexualised music videos.

The report called for age ratings for music videos - suggesting these should influence the times when such videos could be broadcast on television.

Now the government is setting out further steps in response to the report, including a consultation on extending age ratings to music DVDs, when it says "most are currently exempt" from such controls.

Mr Bailey said: "Ending the exemptions from age classification for hard copy music videos will be an important step forward in making sure that children are not inadvertently exposed to unsuitable material."

Adding: "It will send a strong signal to producers of music videos intended for online distribution or broadcast of what is acceptable if they want to reach the correct audience. This is a major concern for parents."

(H)