The National Communications Commission (NCC) is considering amending the rating system for television programs, which has been criticized as inadequate.
Communication Content Department Director Jason Ho (何吉森) said on Sunday that the television rating system had been in place since 1999.
Television programs are divided into four different categories.
Programs rated “G” can be viewed by a general audience. Those rated “P” are inappropriate for children under six years old, while parental guidance is suggested for children between the ages of six and 12.
A “PG” rating means that some content in the program may be inappropriate for children under 12 years old, with parental guidance advised for children aged between 12 and 18 years old.
An “R” rating means a program is inappropriate for viewers under 18 years old. However, most cable and free-to-air channels do not screen this material.
“We have found that having only four [ratings] is not enough,” Ho said. “As it stands, programs aired between 4pm and 9pm are all rated ‘G,’ which requires no parental guidance. But if you look at some of the content, they may contain material that is inappropriate for children or youths.”
“It is time to review the system and subdivide the ‘G’ rating,” Ho said.
Ho mentioned the popular prime-time series Mom’s House (娘家), which airs between 8pm and 9pm.
The NCC recently fined the makers of the program for depicting rape and gangster violence.
The commission has also received repeated complaints from parents about the Japanese cartoon Crayon Shin Chan (蠟筆小新).
The main character, Shin Chan, likes to take off his pants and addresses his mother as “old woman.”
Many parents think the character sets a bad example and are afraid that their children might imitate Shin Chan, Ho said.
Ho said the commission would ask media specialists to look into the complaints.
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