31st December | | |
BBFC's 100 Years of Film Censorship celebrations will include an uncut screening of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
| See
article from
independent.co.uk
|
British fans will be able to see Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom just as its director Steven Spielberg wanted, almost three decades after its release. The film will be screened unedited at the National Film Theatre in London for
the first time at the end of next year as part of a season of films put together to celebrate the centenary of the BBFC. Censors demanded a number of cuts to Temple of Doom when it was submitted in 1984 before it would grant a family-friendly PG
rating. Paramount Pictures was keen to avoid a 15 certificate as the film was aimed at kids and families, but it was too violent and intense for a PG classification, a spokeswoman for the BBFC said. And the option for a 12 certificate
wasn't available at the time. The BBFC director at the time, James Ferman, flew to Los Angeles to edit the film for UK release with Spielberg. The numerous cuts reintroduced will please the more bloodthirsty of fans. They include close-ups
of a heart being ripped out and a head cracking against a rock. A scene where Indiana Jones is forced to drink blood before being whipped will also be reinstated. The season will also include a showing of The Devil s, directed by Ken
Russell who died last month. But it seems that a hundred years of film censorship is not sufficiently important to persuade Warners to allow a screening of their uncut version. The season of censored films also includes The Evil Dead ,
which made the Director of Public Prosecution's video nasties list in 1982. This is just one among several initiatives the BBFC is preparing for its 100th anniversary next year. David
Cooke, director of the BBFC, said: This is a chance for us to look forward and to celebrate our past.
|
31st December | | |
Top Gear Christmas Special winds up Keith Vaz
| See article from
dailystar.co.uk
|
Top Gear's Christmas Special had a bit of fun in India. The usual irreverent jokes ridiculed India's food, toilets, traditional clothing, trains and history. The jokes notably included Clarkson riding around the country's worst slums in a
4-litre Jaguar fitted with a toilet, joking: This is perfect because everyone here gets the trots. This excellently wound up the parliamentary nutter Keith Vaz. Vaz, whose parents are from India, said: Clarkson and the BBC should be ashamed for broadcasting gags about the nation.
Mr Clarkson needs to stick to talking about cars, not cultures. And he should apologise for his lack of taste. He and the BBC have done India a great disservice with this programme. Some of the contents of the programme are clearly offensive and not the least bit funny. They were completely pointless.
Mr Clarkson is not a comedian. He talks about his cars and that is why he gets on the show. Why do him and the BBC bother putting this out?
Even David Cameron participated in the Top
Gear fun. He had a cameo role waving off the Top Gear trio on a trade mission as ambassadors of Britain to save the UK from bankruptcy. The BBC confirmed they had received 23 complaints about the show, all about racial issues. A
spokesman said there were no plans for Clarkson or the BBC to apologise.
|
31st December | | |
HomeSafe website blocking service attracts few takers
| See article
from guardian.co.uk
|
The number of people signing up to a ground-breaking new service to block children from accessing self-harm and pornography websites has slumped amid criticisms that it fails to achieve its aims, could breach privacy and employs technology
connected to the Chinese military. TalkTalk ISP launched its free HomeSafe service to its 4 million internet subscribers in May, but the product has only attracted around 200,000 users despite signing up more than 100,000 in its
first two months. The slowing take-up follows HomeSafe featuring prominently in TalkTalk's recent advertising campaign which attempted to attract customers by plugging the UK's safest broadband . Some technology blogs and websites
have raised concerns that HomeSafe might be easily bypassed by dubious websites, while also querying whether the product could introduce worries about privacy. On his blog, Dr Richard Clayton, a computer scientist at the University of Cambridge,
wrote: I doubt that malware distributors will see this [HomeSafe] as much of a challenge. The system is described as 'opt in', [but] that only applies to whether or not websites you visit might be blocked. What is not
opt in is whether or not TalkTalk learns the details of the URLs [websites] that all of their customers visit, whether they have opted in or not.
|
31st December | | |
Ambassador to India decries Russian prosecution of holy book on charges of extremism
| 26th December 2011. From monstersandcritics.com |
Russia has expressed regret over a Siberian court trial considering a ban on a one Hindu holy book causing an 'uproar' in India. State prosecutors in Tomsk seek to ban the Russian translation of the Bhagavad Gita , contending it is an
extremist religious text that should be banned. They said the book spreads social discord, the IANS news agency reported. Russian Ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin said: I consider it categorically
inadmissible when any holy scripture is taken to the courts. For all believers these texts are sacred.
He claimed that Russia was a secular and democratic country where all religions enjoyed equal respect. The Siberian court is
expected to deliver its verdict in the case on December 28. Update: Not banned 31st December 2011. See
article from en.wikinews.org A
judge in Tomsk, Russia drew a round of applause from the court room as she dismissed charges of extremism against the Bhagavad Gita As It Is , a Russian commented translation of the Bhagavad Gita published by the International Society for
Krishna Consciousness. This decision put an end to the six-month-long trial of the book accused by the state prosecutors of fostering social discord and incitement to religious hatred . The Indian Foreign Ministry, which had been
urging Moscow to avert the possible ban they termed as absurd , welcomed the verdict calling it a sensible resolution of a sensitive issue which demonstrates yet again that the people of India and Russia have a deep understanding of each
other's cultures and will always reject any attempt to belittle our common civilizational values and thanked the Russian government for their support. The controversial court case on the Bhagavad Gita, an ancient text regarded sacred by
millions of Hindus, had caused political and societal turmoil in India, with the Indian Parliament stalled over the proposed ban and Hindu activists burning Russian flags. The trial also evoked strong criticism from the international media.
|
31st December | | |
Ofcom rejects appeal from the Islam Channel over censure of TV discussions about Gaza
| 30th December 2011. See article
from thejc.com See Complaints
Bulletin [pdf] from stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk |
TV censor Ofcom has rejected an appeal by the Islam Channel over its coverage of Israel. The English-language satellite station had challenged a ruling last year that it breached Ofcom's broadcasting code in two programmes which discussed Israel's
conduct in Gaza. But Ofcom's broadcasting review committee, in a decision published this month, stated that the London-based channel had failed to maintain an adequate and appropriate level of impartiality . The committee noted the
channel's difficulties in finding guests to represent the Israeli government viewpoint. But it went on: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is, however, a matter of political controversy and the Islam Channel... was therefore obliged to ensure some
discussion of the policies and actions of the Israeli government which represented its viewpoint. The two programmes under scrutiny were an edition of Umma Talk , broadcast on October 14 2009, and an edition of Politics and Beyond.
The subject was the Israeli blockade of the peace flotilla to Gaza. The Ofcom review committee said that the Islam Channel was required to ensure that alternative viewpoints are adequately represented . Although the channel's breaches
of the broadcasting code were not serious enough to merit a statutory sanction , it was considered appropriate for the Islam Channel to be invited to attend a meeting with Ofcom , to discuss how to improve its compliance with impartiality
rules. Update: Ofcom's response warrants closer examination 31st December 2011. From Alan Israel illegally occupies adjoining territory, starting when I was an undergraduate and going on as I
prepare to collect my pension. Muslim Channel understandably wants to comment on this state of affairs, but must impartially show Israeli viewpoint. If the channel invites Israeli government spokesman to appear, the latter
can effectively censor the progamme by refusing to turn up. Barmy or what?
|
30th December | | |
Page 3 nutters make submissions to the Leveson Inquiry
| See article
from guardian.co.uk
|
Four nutter groups: End Violence Against Women, Equality Now, Object and Eaves -- are calling on the Leveson inquiry to move away from addressing the concerns of celebrities and other victims of alleged phone hacking by News International and look at the
daily treatment of women, which they claim contributes to a society where rape can only be committed by evil strangers down darkened alleyways and where a woman is valued only because of her body. In four detailed submissions the groups lay out
what they see as the worst culprits. The organisations say they took a small sample of sexist, and often misleading, articles from a vast number of supposedly offensive reports. End Violence Against Women (Evaw) pulled out 10 examples which
they say provides a snapshot of poor reporting of violence against women stories which were either intrusive, inaccurate, which misrepresented or were misogynistic, victim-blaming or condoning violence against women and girls . The
portrayal of prostitutes in the media was also damaging, according to the Evaw submission. It feeds into myths about prostitution, which at worse lead to attitudes that tolerate violence against women in prostitution or regard it as inevitable, it
said. A joint submission from anti-sexualisation campaign group Object and Turn Your Back on Page 3 charted a week in the life of the Sun, the Daily Star and the Sport . It highlighted an article on 14 November when the Sun trialled invisible shaping bum boosters
by testing men's reactions when a woman bent over at work, and, according to the groups, eroticises a form of sexual harassment making it appear that it is what women should, and do, seek from men . It criticised the same newspaper for
presenting itself as a family product, offering a free toy on its front page while containing adverts for XXX DVDs and Page 3 imagery , and highlighted a article the day earlier which provided tips for women on how to stop your man having
affairs which included the advice: Men have three basic instincts -- food, shelter and sex. If you nail that as a woman, there's no need for him to look elsewhere. The organisation's campaigns manager Anna van Heeswijk said: Sexualised images such as 'Page 3' are banned from the workplace due to the intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment that these images can create. Yet, in a situation unusual to the UK, these images saturate national tabloids which are sold without age-restriction in newsagents and supermarkets and which are read and left lying around in the public domain.
|
30th December | | |
Bollywood film banned in Qatar
| From hindustantimes.com
|
The most talked about Bollywood film of this year, The Dirty Picture , has been banned in Qatar. Our distributors applied for a censorship certificate in Qatar and they received a notice saying that the movie can't be released there. The
film is currently being screened in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other Middle East countries, but it will not go to Qatar, says Tanuj Garg, CEO Balaji Motion Pictures, adding: The film was supposed to release there either this week or the next, but we
were informed that it has been deemed unsuitable for theatrical exhibition. There were some hitches in releasing the film in Pakistan as well but it was all sorted out when the makers appealed their Censor Board's decision. Even a
conservative country like Pakistan released the film after initially rejecting it. Qatar is the only place where the film has been banned, reveals Garg.
|
30th December | |
| Bollox about 1950's Playboy images being considered obscene by police
| See
article from dailymail.co.uk
|
When shop owner Lucy Wilkes decided on a window display for her business, she knew it would ruffle a few feathers. Two vintage, kitsch chairs, standing side-by-side, one decorated in pages from Playboy featuring nude women. However, even she was
astonished at the level of controversy the display attracted among visitors to her shop The Print Room, in Lewes, East Sussex. She was stunned when police ordered her to remove one of the offending items after a customer complained that it was obscene
. Clearly ignorant policemen claimed to Wilkes her vintage furniture contravened the Obscene Publications Act because it is decorated with 1950s Playboy magazines, which features images of topless women. Perhaps the police would have been
better advised to cite the Indecent Displays Act or the more usual Public Order Act. It seems the police involved are in need of a little basic legal training. The astonished retailer was forced to hide the seat at the back of her shop and has now
draped it with a public health warning. The ironic sign reads: This chair has been deemed inappropriate for public view. Please take care. Designer Laura Diez, who made the chair, insisted her creation was tasteful . She said: I
can't believe anyone in their right mind could actually be offended by this. I used 1950s Playboys which are no more scandalous than the front cover of some men's magazines which are on show in any newsagents. A Sussex Police spokeswoman said:
Police attended a Lewes shop following a complaint from a member of the public regarding an item that was on display in the shop window. The member of public was offended by the images displayed on a chair and the shop owner was politely asked by
police to remove it from public view, which he voluntarily did.
|
29th December | | |
Thais advised about safe web surfing
| From bangkokpost.com
|
The newly opened Centre for Monitoring Lese Majeste Websites is offering advice to Thais on what to do and not to do when browsing the internet:
- The first advice the centre gives the public is: Do not forward, send a link or revisit websites - including Facebook, Twitter or YouTube - with content that is critical of the monarchy. Those who do so can be regarded as supporting such websites.
- Never press 'Like' in Facebook or click 'Follow' on Twitter for sites with content critical of the monarchy.
- If you Google certain key words such as 'King Thailand' and come across indecent content, do not activate
the link because browsing those websites can upgrade the ranking of those lese majeste sites, eventually pushing them to the top of the list.
- It is suggested that the public check in to such websites as www.weloveking.com and
www.welovekingonline.com.
|
29th December | | |
Philippines media censors unveil new TV ratings
| 10th October 2011. See article
from abs-cbnnews.com |
Philippines' Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has launched its revised classification ratings for television programs. The new TV ratings will be:
- General Patronage (G)
- Parental Guidance (PG)
- Strong Parental Guidance (SPG)
- Banned for Airing on Television (X)
MTRCB said the program advisories were designed to empower parents to exercise caution and vigilance with the viewing habits of their children. A full-screen written and verbal advisory of the program's classification rating must be
shown for at least 10 seconds immediately before the opening credits. Then a standard pictogram advisory must be superimposed on screen throughout the program. Update: Accepted 29th December 2011. From
bworldonline.com
The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has issued guidelines for the implementation of an additional classification rating for television programs that contain more serious topics and themes. The Strong Parental Guidance
(SPG) tag is given to programs that may not be advisable for children to watch except under the very vigilant guidance and presence of a parent or adult. Programs under the SPG classification contain more explicit content than those under
Parental Guidance category, which is currently the only warning issued by the MTRCB for television shows. It was approved on Dec. 1 by the MTRCB and becomes effective on Jan. 7. A program advisory showing the capital letters SPG on a
red box with the phrase Strong Parental Guidance Striktong Patnubay at Gabay at the bottom shall be clearly superimposed at the bottom right corner of the TV screen throughout the entire showing of the program. The full screen advisory
shall specifically declare the content descriptors pertinent to the program being shown, whether it be drugs, violence, sex, horror or language. A voice-over to the effect that the program is classified as SPG shall be broadcast for at least 20 seconds
immediately before the opening credits and midway in the full airing of the show. |
28th December | | |
Malaysia moves towards industry self censorship of local movies
| From celebrities.bernama.com
|
The Malaysian Film Producers' Association (PFM) claims that it can be made the body to determine age ratings for films because of its vast experience. Its general-secretary, Norman Abdul Halim, said the concept of making the film producers'
association as the rating agency was being practiced in the United States of America through Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). He said: A body with experience and is an expert in films, like the film
producers' association, is required to determine the rating because it is not an easy task. PFM can do this. We can give warning, in the form of rating for films, like those containing violence and sex are suitable for viewing by
those above 18 years old.
Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam has just announced that local movie producers would be allowed to carry out their own censorship on movies or dramas that they produced, effective next
year.
|
27th December | |
| Whingeing at UK action against Iranian Press TV whilst jamming the BBC
| From presstv.ir See also article
from online.wsj.com
|
Press TV have issued another propaganda peice suggesting that Ofcom are set to ban the satellite channel from broadcasting with a UK licence. Press TV writes in a website posting: London has spared no effort in
its two-year-long battle against Press TV. Its media tool, Ofcom, is now about to revoke the channel's broadcast license, hoping this desperate measure will silence criticism.
And in a coincidently timed piece, the Wall Street Journal
points out that Iran is regularly jamming BBC programmes targeted at Iran: As uprisings rolled across the Middle East this year, Iran stepped up its jamming of the BBC, Voice of America and other Western networks with
Persian-language news channels. The move is intended to prevent Iranian audiences from seeing foreign broadcasts the Iranian government finds objectionable, five networks protested in a joint statement this month. Some 45%
to 60% of Iranians watch satellite TV, according to estimates from the state media company and an Iranian research center, exceeding the number believed to use the Internet. Iran so far seems to be winning a struggle to filter out unwanted TV content and
broadcast its own propaganda: The country jams channels like the BBC on Western satellites even as Iran's state media company broadcasts pro-government news on some of the same satellites, and at times has aired forced confessions of political detainees.
Iran is having it both ways, said a U.S. State Department official. While they benefit from the international community's respect for 'freedom of expression' and 'freedom of the airwaves,' they deny that same right to
their own citizens, aggressively jamming Persian-language broadcasts from other countries.
|
26th December | | |
ATVOD thwarted in their attempt to define newspaper video clips as TV-like and hence open to ATVOD censorship
| 22nd December 2011. From paidcontent.org |
The Sun has won its appeal against the Authority for Television on Demand (ATVOD) who claimed that newspaper's video clips section was TV-like. Being TV-like forces websites to register with ATVOD's very expensive Video on Demand censorship regime.
Ofcom deliberated on the appeal and ruled in favor of The Sun newspaper. The decision is wide-ranging and it will apply to video on other newspaper sites. The Ofcom decision was based on the fact that the Sun publishes more content than just
video on its website: Too much focus was placed on the 'Sun Video' section of The Sun's website, it noted in that decision. Essentially, Ofcom said that only sites whose primary purpose is to show the kind of video that one would find on
regular television should be subject to ATVOD's regulations. This should come as some relief to magazine and newspaper publishers in the UK. This will save newspapers high fees, perhaps up to £ 20,000 depending
on turnover and the number of service. Update: ATVOD responds to Ofcom decision 26th December 2011. From atvod.co.uk
ATVOD has acted promptly following a decision by Ofcom today to uphold an appeal by News Group Newspapers Ltd. against a determination by ATVOD that The Sun's website included a video on demand service which fell within the video on demand
regulator's remit. Given the similarities between The Sun case and other newspaper and magazine websites, ATVOD has today announced that it will withdraw its Determinations that The Sunday Times Video Library, Telegraph TV, The Independent Video, FT
Video, Guardian Video, Guardian You Tube, News of the World TV and Elle TV were On-Demand Programme Services. ATVOD had held that The Sun's internet video offering met the definition of an On-Demand Programme Service, set out in the Communications
Act 2003. The Ofcom decision is that the Sun Video section of the website (previously styled as Sun TV') is not subject to regulation by ATVOD. The appeal judgement is the third made by Ofcom this year, the communications regulator having
previously backed ATVOD's rulings that adult websites Demand Adult and Climax 3 fell within the scope of the new rules which include a requirement that children are protected from material which might seriously impair their development. ATVOD Chief Executive, Pete Johnson, said:
Most people will recognise that defining the scope of new regulations in a fast-moving market is a complex and difficult task. The appeal system is a vital part of the process, giving users and providers of video on
demand services greater clarity over where the new protections for consumers do and do not apply. Given the clear similarities between The Sun and the other newspaper and magazine websites under appeal, we have moved quickly to confirm that the
Determinations in relation to those services are being withdrawn with immediate effect. We will now reflect further on the appeal judgement and consider any implications it may have for any other past and future rulings on whether
a service falls within ATVOD's remit.
|
26th December | | |
Actor arrested for staging a play critical of the Malawi goverment
| From nyasatimes.com
|
Freedom of expression continues to be trampled upon by the Malawi regime as actor Thlupego Chisiza was arrested for staging a play critical of the government. The play SEMO which was co-written by slain student activist Robert Chasowa
lampoons the DPP led governments handling of the economic, repressive laws that have retrogressed the country back to dictatorship and questions police role in stripping Malawians of their human rights. Armed police arrested Chisiza when he was
performing the play with his Lions Theater in Blantyre claiming Chisiza did not pass it to the Board of Classification for vetting, a claim the playwright dismissed as untrue. Arresting actors and performers show how insecure this government
is, Malawians must come together and defeat these threats to human rights, freedom and liberty, social-political activist Ben Chiza Mkandawire told Nyasa Times. Performing arts in the country creates space where serious engagement with the
social issues surrounding liberty, freedom, human rights can be addressed, art gives people inspiration, hope and determination, it is a medium where people can get empowerment, Mkandawire added.
|
24th December | | |
David Cameron goes to war against anything remotely sexy
| From telegraph.co.uk
|
Businesses have been warned that they face new rules to tackle what the Prime Minister has described as the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood. The Prime Minister will hold meetings early in the new year with retailers and
advertisers to put a spotlight on their conduct, whatever that means. If voluntary codes of conduct fail to do enough to protect children, ministers are threatening to legislate and impose new laws. In a letter to business leaders inviting
them to meet the Prime Minister, Sarah Teather, the children's minister, warned that companies must demonstrate the real difference they are making for families . She said: The Prime Minister and I will expect to see concrete progress and for
this to feel real and meaningful to parents and children. The letter, seen by The Daily Telegraph, sets out a detailed list of reforms that ministers want to see introduced over the next 10 months, including:
- Children under the age of 16 must not be used as brand ambassadors or in peer to peer marketing campaigns. A voluntary ban is already under way but Teather said: The industry needs to do further work to ensure that this is strongly
enforced.
- A nationwide ban on outdoor advertising that uses sexualised images . A voluntary ban already exists on advertising near schools but ministers want firms to go further. Teather suggested a ban on outdoor
advertisements using sexualised images could be required. She said: Children go to more places than just their school and see advertising everywhere they go. If an advertisement is not acceptable close to a school, is it acceptable anywhere?
- So-called lads' magazines and newspapers with sexualised images on their covers must not be in easy view of children in shops. A code of practice already exists for newsagents and retailers. However, application of the code is very
patchy and there are many shops, including many well-known high street names where these magazines and newspapers are very clearly visible to children, Teather said: There is no reason these magazines could not be sold bagged or shelved behind
modesty boards provided by publishers and wholesalers and we expect to see a great deal of progress on this issue.
- Age ratings for music videos could be introduced as a result of a Department for Culture, Media and Sport
consultation. [This may be interesting, the government may find that most of the supposedly child devasting Rihanna videos may turn out to be no more than 12 rated, with even the most sexy being 15 rated rather than the assumed 18].
|
24th December | |
| Australia bans the computer game Syndicate
| 20th December 2011. From edge.alluremedia.com.au |
The Australian Classification Board has banned the upcoming computer game Syndicate. No doubt it would have qualified for an 18 rating, but as there isn't one then the game was banned. The Australian censors justified their decision as
follows: In the Board's view this game warrants an 'RC' classification in accordance with rule 1(d): Computer games that: are unsuitable for a minor to see or play will be Refused
Classification.
The game contains violence that is high in impact and is therefore unsuitable for persons aged under 18 years to play. The game is set in a futuristic dystopia where people have
computer chips in their heads that allow them to interact with the "dataverse", It is a first person shooter with realistically rendered graphics. A player controls Kilo, an agent of one of the "Syndicates" (powerful corporations), as
he moves through levels completing objectives such as rescuing Eurocorp employees and extracting chips from people's heads. In order to complete the missions, a player has to engage in intense combat with swarms of enemy
combatants who are clad in light armour. A variety of weapons is available and these often cause decapitation, dismemberment and gibbing during frenetic gunfights. For example, an intense sequence of violence commences when a player collects a "G290
minigun", which operates much like a Gatling gun. A player moves through a building rapidly firing at enemy combatants. Combatants take locational damage and can be explicitly dismembered, decapitated or bisected by the force of the gunfire. The
depictions are accompanied by copious bloodspray and injuries are shown realistically and with detail, Flesh and bone are often exposed while arterial sprays of blood continue to spurt from wounds at regular intervals. Similar
injuries can be caused by many other weapons, including shotguns, high-calibre revolvers, sniper rifles, assault rifles, rocket launchers, laser guns and grenades. The game also allows a player to repeatedly damage enemy
combatants' corpses. This is shown in realistic depictions. For example, it is possible for a player to decapitate a corpse with a headshot before individually blowing off each of its limbs. Depending on the weapon used, it is also possible to bisect a
corpse, with realistic ragdoll effects noted. The depictions are again accompanied by arterial sprays of blood and detailed injuries that include protruding bone. Throughout the game, a player consistently encounters unarmed
civilians and has the choice of whether to target them or riot. Civilians can be shot, accompanied by copious bloodspray, but it is not possible to decapitate or dismember them, whether they are alive or dead. Their corpses can still be targeted,
resulting in bloodspray only. In single player mode, the game treats civilian deaths neutrally, but it is noted that in cooperative gameplay, points are awarded for civilian casualties. In the opinion of the Board, the game
contains intense sequences of violence which include detailed depictions of decapitation and dismemberment that are high in playing impact. The game also contains the ability to inflict repeated and realistic post mortem damage which exceeds strong in
playing impact. It is therefore unsuitable for a minor to see or play and is therefore Refused Classification. Update: Meanwhile at the BBFC 24th December 2011.From
bbfc.co.uk The BBFC has passed Syndicate 18 uncut with the consumer advice: Contains strong bloody violence. The game includes 1 hour of video or cut scenes.
|
24th December | | |
YouView internet TV service to launch using BBFC classifications for films
| From bbfc.co.uk
|
The BBFC has added TalkTalk to the BBFC.online classification service. TalkTalk will launch YouView in Spring 2012, and subscribers viewing film content will see the same classification symbols and content information as those the
BBFC provides for cinema releases and DVDs. The BBFC's information will make it easier for consumers to make informed decisions about the films they and their families watch. David Cooke, Director of the BBFC, said We're
delighted to add TalkTalk to our BBFC.online service. Parents have told us it's important for them to see the classification symbols they recognise before they stream a film for family consumption. We asked parents for their views and 82% said they would
prefer to download films that are classified with the trusted BBFC symbols and Consumer Advice. Max Alexander, Director of TV at TalkTalk, said It's important that our customers trust the suitability of content they are
about to watch and this agreement with the BBFC gives them what they want. Working with the BBFC shows our ongoing commitment to ensure that we help protect our customers across all products and services they use with us.
|
24th December | | |
So who actually decides which websites are blocked on mobile phones in the name of child protection?
| See article from
openrightsgroup.org
|
All the major UK mobile operators have Internet blocking schemes that block certain content from users. This is designed to protect children from accessing adult material. The filters are turned on by default when anybody signs up to a mobile contract.
Age verification, normally via a credit card, is required to turn them off. We've heard a lot of anecdotal evidence of mistakes, over-blocking and the difficulty of pointing out when things go wrong. Mobile Internet access is becoming more
important as a means of getting online. According to Ofcom, 28% of UK adults said they accessed the internet on their mobile in the first three months of 2011. So we've started to look more closely at how this blocking works. It's clear that
mobile operators could be much clearer about this. They tend to be pretty opaque as to exactly how their blocking works, and how they decide which Web pages are inappropriate for under 18s. For example, Orange says that it is the Independent
Mobile Classification Body (IMCB) that decides what is adult content or not. However this is not true. The IMCB only provides a framework for determining content from mobile phone companies that is inappropriate for children and teenagers. But content
from the Internet is out of IMCB's remit, as stated in its Classification Framework. Mobile operators all declare that they are acting according to a code of conduct set by the Mobile Broadband Group. But this code does not provide for any
kind of criteria for determining or defining blockable content. It simply points at the IMCB framework. It is most likely that lists from US companies like Blue Coat are used to decide what we are able to access. How the policies of these
companies fit with the frameworks of the IMCB and the Mobile Broadband Group is another question we are looking to answer. Transparency regarding how mobile operators decide what counts as blockable content is increasingly important.
Customers should be able to ascertain how and why content is blocked, and have easier ways to point out when things are going wrong. We'll be developing more work on this, including tools to help you point out when mobile operators are blocking sites,
soon. Please let us know if you're interested in helping out. ...See more information at
openrightsgroup.org
|
23rd December | | |
ITV axe Woody Allen Jesus song from the Jonathan Ross Show
| Thanks to David From westsussextoday.co.uk See video from
youtube.com
|
Tim Minchin has blasted ITV bosses after he claimed a specially-written track was pulled from the Jonathan Ross Show for fear of upsetting Christians. Tim - who is behind West End hit Matilda - has written a furious blog pointing the
finger at the network's director of programmes Peter Fincham, suggesting he was nervous about a backlash. Tim said compliance staff and lawyers had given the go-ahead to his lyrics long before the recording of the programme.. But he
said the humorous song - which drew parallels between Woody Allen and Jesus - was pulled when Fincham watched the show. In his blog Minchin said: Peter Fincham demanded that I be cut from the show.
He did this because he's scared of the ranty, shit-stirring, right-wing press, and of the small minority of Brits who believe they have a right to go through life protected from anything that challenges them in any way. I have
to admit I'm really fucking disappointed.
An ITV source lamely claimed that the decision was less about religious sensitivity and more that tonally, it wasn't right for the show . Update: Clergy
Relaxed 24th December 2011. See article from theaustralian.com.au Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Peter Jensen said he was more frightened about people not talking about Jesus than what they said about him. He said:
Tim Minchin doesn't worry me nearly as much as the people who try to suppress Jesus Christ. I'm more frightened about people who don't talk about him at all and try to censor him out. People talk about the festival
season, doing anything they can to avoid the obvious.
Lutheran Church of Australia Reverend Mike Semmler said a comedian making jokes about Jesus meant he was considered a serious subject worthy of a laugh. He said:
Part of the Christmas message is that Jesus becomes human and if people are trying to relate him to other human beings, while it may not be terribly uplifting for the church, he was after all really human.
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23rd December | | |
The Lacoste art prize cancelled over political sensitivities
| See article from
bbc.co.uk
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The Swiss Lacoste art prize worth 25,000 euros has been cancelled amid controversy that the organisers censored one of the nominees. Jerusalem-born artist Larissa Sansour claims she was taken off the shortlist for being too pro-Palestinian .
The Elysee Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland said it was the prize's sponsors, clothing company Lacoste, who decided to exclude Sansour. Lacoste denied the accusation and withdrew their sponsorship. Sansour was among eight finalists
shortlisted for the photography prize for her Nation Estate project. Her trio of images was inspired by Palestine's attempt to gain UN recognition and depicts a skyscraper housing the entire Palestinian population. The news of her removal earlier
this week came as a complete surprise, she said. Sansour told The Independent she had been told by senior staff at the museum that the reason for her removal was allegedly because her work was considered by Lacoste to be too pro-Palestinian .
Organisers released a statement saying her work had been deemed inappropriate for the prize, which had a Joie de Vivre (joy of life) theme.
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23rd December | | |
France debates bill to criminalise the denial of the Armenian Massacre
| 21st December 2011. See article from
bbc.co.uk |
Turkish President Abdullah Gul has called on France to halt plans for a law criminalising the denial of the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I as genocide. The French lower house of parliament is due to consider a
bill that proposes a one-year prison term and a heavy fine. Armenians say up to 1.5 million people died during mass deportations. Turkey puts the figure at closer to 300,000. In a statement, President Gul said the proposed legislation, set
to go before the National Assembly on Thursday, denied Turkey the freedom to reject unfair and groundless accusations . He also suggested that France was jeopardising centuries of friendship because of small political calculations . Last week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrote to French President Nicolas Sarkozy warning him that bill was
hostile and directly targeted Turkey and Turks living in France. Such steps will have grave consequences for future relations between Turkey and France in political, economic, cultural and all areas, and the responsibility will rest with those
behind this initiative, the Anatolia news agency quoted him as saying. A delegation of Turkish MPs and businessmen has travelled to Paris to lobby against the bill and was due to meet Sarkozy's diplomatic adviser, Jean-David Levitte, and
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe. Update: Passed 23rd December 2011. See article from
bbc.co.uk
The Turkish prime minister has announced measures against France after MPs passed a bill criminalising denial of the 1915-16 Armenian genocide . Ankara is recalling its ambassador and freezing political visits as well as joint military
projects, including exercises, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. The bill was passed by the French National Assembly on Thursday and is due to go before the Senate next year. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has publicly opposed it. Under the bill, those publicly denying genocide would face a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros.
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23rd December | | |
Ofcom censures Ummah Channel for abusive treatment of followers of variants of islam
| From stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk
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Debate Night Ummah Channel, 3 September 2011, 22:00 The Ummah Channel is a satellite television service which aims to promote knowledge of Islam through educating viewers to fulfil their spiritual and religious development . This
edition of Debate Night was the first of three programmes broadcast on three consecutive days starting on 3 September 2011, that debated when the Islamic holiday of Eid1 should be celebrated in the UK. 17 complainants alerted Ofcom to the 3
September programme because they considered the programme:
- incited hatred against non-Barelvi 2 Muslims;
- stated non-Barelvi Muslims celebrated Eid on the wrong day ; and
- Encouraged Barelvi Muslims to storm mosques that celebrated Eid on the wrong day
Barelvi muslims are generally from South Asia, Non Barelvi seems to refer to Saudi muslims. Ofcom had two concerns. Firstly that a Muslim scholar (who was one of four panellists in the studio) made the following statements:
When [the Saudis] celebrate Eid on a day of Ramadan, they are publically insulting that month – even if they fast for their whole lives, they cannot atone for this sin. If you see wrongdoing
going on, then stop it physically. If you have no power, then stop it verbally. If that too is not possible, then consider it as wrongdoing in your heart…We are not even talking about [the Saudis?] filthy erroneous beliefs with regards to Allah and
his Prophet but just moon-sighting, which is damaging and destroying the worship done by simple Muslims. If you cannot do so with your hands or tongue then at least condemn them.
Ofcom considered this raised issues under Rule 3.1:
Material likely to encourage or incite the commission of crime or to lead to disorder must not be included in television or radio services.
Ofcom concluded that this did not constitute incitement:
In considering Rule 3.1, we are required to address the likelihood of the commission of a crime against a follower of the non-Barelvi tradition of Islam or of disorder being created. In particular, we considered whether
this statement in the programme included a direct or indirect call to action with a reasonable likelihood it would have encouraged or incited, for example, Barelvi Muslims to take violent or criminal action against non-Barelvi Muslims or lead to
disorder. We recognised that phrases such as If you see wrongdoing going on, then stop it physically and If you cannot do so with your hands or tongue then at least condemn them could be construed, to some limited degree, as
having the potential to encourage some form of physical action (possibly including assault or violence) against, or lead to disorder involving, members of the non-Barelvi Muslim tradition of Islam. However, it was Ofcom's overall
view that this one statement on its own would not be likely to encourage or incite the commission of crime or to lead to disorder. Therefore, Ofcom did not consider that the broadcaster breached Rule 3.1.
Secondly Ofcom considered
statements made by callers to the programme: If you are in Saudi Arabia, you have to follow them because otherwise you will be oppressed by the tyrants but we here do not follow them...[Saudis] have no fear for the
laws of Allah and Sharia and they are transgressing. And Allah has no love for those who transgress. They are not following the Sharia and it appears in some ways that they are not even Muslims. Before these, Mecca was ruled by
others – the Saudis captured the country; their [Saudi] beliefs are filthy. People need to be told that they [Saudis] are expropriating in the name of the holy places but they grossly insult those holy places…These cruel people [Saudis] have
destroyed our holy places. You need to tell people that their beliefs are filthy and we hate them not because of some personal reasons but because they insult our ancestors, our beliefs, and use inappropriate words about Prophet Muhammad. That is why we
have differences with them and people should stop blindly following them.
Ofcom consider these remarks under Rule 4.2: The religious beliefs of those belonging to a particular religion or religious
denomination must not be subject to abusive treatment.
it was Ofcom's view that the use of such terms and references when taken together amounted to abusive treatment of the religious views and beliefs of non-Barelvi Muslims in
Saudi Arabia, and those who follow that tradition of Islam within the UK. And hence a breach of Rule 4.2. Ofcom added: Although the breach of Rule 4.2 in the present case was not as serious as the breaches
recorded in Ofcom Broadcast Bulletin 167, we are concerned that a similar breach of the Code occurred despite enhanced compliance procedures that Ummah Channel put in place. Therefore, if any similar breaches should happen in future, we are putting Ummah
Channel on notice that we would consider taking further regulatory action.
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22nd December | |
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Ofcom re-iterate its censorship rules for song lyrics broadcast in daytime
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See article from
thecmuwebsite.com
Ofcom has re-iterated its rules for banning 'inappropriate' song lyrics. The radio and TV censor claims that the new guidelines will be clearer about what is and isn't suitable. Subject matter is as relevant as the quantity of swear words,
says OfCom in its new guidelines, stressing that radio broadcasters should avoid broadcasting lyrics that clearly focus on the taking of drugs, sexual acts or behaviour, or convey a clearly sexualised theme, when children are particularly likely to be
listening . Times when children are likely to be listening are listed as 6am to 9am and 3pm to 7pm on weekdays during term time, and 6am to 7pm at weekend.
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