Rating Systems (TV)

In some countries, TV providers have a rating system to ensure that the content is suitable for young persons.

Contents

• 1 Comparison table
• 2 Argentina
• 3 Armenia
  • 3.1 General ratings
  • 3.2 Children ratings
• 4 Australia
  • 4.1 Children
  • 4.2 Discontinued
• 5 Brazil
• 6 Bulgaria
• 7 Canada
  • 7.1 English
  • 7.2 French
• 8 Chile
  • 8.1 Child specific
  • 8.2 Standard ratings
• 9 China
  • 9.1 Hong Kong
  • 9.2 Taiwan
• 10 Colombia
  • 10.1 Monday-Friday
  • 10.2 Saturday
  • 10.3 Sunday
• 11 Croatia
• 12 Cyprus
• 13 Czech Republic
• 14 Denmark
• 15 Ecuador
• 16 El Salvador
• 17 Finland
• 18 France
• 19 Germany
• 20 Greece
  • 20.1 Ratings
  • 20.2 Descriptors
• 21 Hungary
• 22 India
• 23 Indonesia
• 24 Malaysia
• 25 Mexico
• 26 Netherlands
• 27 New Zealand
• 28 North Macedonia
• 29 Philippines
• 30 Poland
• 31 Portugal
• 32 Russia
• 33 Singapore
  • 33.1 Times/Restrictions
• 34 South Africa
• 35 South Korea
  • 35.1 Age Classification Ratings (Korea Media Rating Board)
  • 35.2 Nielsen Viewership Ratings
• 36 Spain
• 37 United States
• 38 Venezuela
• 39 Vietnam
• 40 References

Comparison table[]

Key:

•  Green  - All ages may watch
•  Yellow  - Parental guidance suggested
•  Blue  - Unsuitable for a younger audience but not restricted
•  Orange  - Partially restricted (People under the age must be with an adult)
•  Red  - Fully restricted (People under the age may not be admitted at all)
•  White  - Others

Country/System	0/1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	Other	Time Restrictions (Watershed)
Argentina	ATP												13+			16+		18+				N/A	+13, +16, +18: May air only from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am
Armenia	GA	EC			E				E9			T				M	AO	A				N/A	N/A
	Y						Y7		TW
Australia	G														M			R18+				E	M: May air only from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm (except ABC Me) and from 7:30 pm (8:30 pm for ABC Me) to 5:00 am.MA15+: May air only from 8:30 pm (9:00 pm for ABC Me) to 5:00 am.
	PG														MA15+			X18+
	P				C									N/A
Brazil(ClassInd)	(A)L									(A)10		(A)12		(A)14		(A)16		(A)18				N/A	N/A
Bulgaria	Unrated											12		14		16		18				N/A	18: Cannot be broadcast before 11:00 pm
Canada (Outside Quebec)	G							PG						P				18+				E	14+: May only air from 6:00pm to 6:00am18+: May only air from 9:00pm to 5:30am (16 and 18 ratings in Quebec follow similar protocols)
	C							C8
Canada (Inside Quebec)	G							8					13			16		18
Chile	F											R						A				N/A	A: May air only from 9:00 pm to 7:00 am
	I						I7			I10		I12
Colombia	PTA											Adultos										N/A	Adultos: May air only from 9:30 pm to 7:00 am; a message must be broadcast at 10:00 pm explaining that the adult fringe has started
Costa Rica	Horario Infantil											Horario Juvenil						Horario Adulto				N/A	Horario Infantil: May only air from 6:00 am to 6:00 pmHorario Juvenil: May only air from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pmHorario Adulto: May only air from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am
Croatia	Unrated											12			15			18				N/A	15: May only air from 8:00 pm to 4:00 am18: May only air from 11:00 pm to 4:00 am
Cyprus	K											12			15			18				N/A	N/A
Czech Republic	Unrated																	*				N/A	*: May only air from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am
Denmark	A						7				11				15							N/A	N/A
Ecuador	A											B						C				N/A	C: May air only from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am
El Salvador	A											B			C			D			E	N/A	E: May air only from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am
Finland	S						K7					K12				K16		K18				N/A	K7: Cannot be broadcast before 7:00 amK12: Cannot be broadcast before 5:00 pmK16: Cannot be broadcast before 9:00 pmK18: May air only from 11:00 pm to 7:00 am
France	Unrated									-10		-12				-16		-18				N/A	-12: May only air from 10:00pm to 5:00am-16: May only air from 10:30pm to 5:00am-18: May only air from 12:00pm to 5:00am
Germany(FSF)	Unrated															16		18				N/A	16: May only air from 10:00pm to 6:00am18: May only air from 11:00pm to 6:00am
Greece	K							8				12				16		18				N/A	8: May air only 30 minutes after the kid-friendly zone12: May air only from 9:30 pm to 6:00 am or from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am on weekends and school holidays16: May air only from 11:00 pm to 6:00 am18: May air only from 01:00 am to 6:00 am
Hong Kong	Unrated																	M				N/A	PG: Can't air from 4:00pm to 8:30pmM: May only air from 11:30pm to 6:00am
	PG
Hungary	Unrated					6						12				16		18				N/A	16: May only air from from 9:00pm to 5:00am18: May only air from from 10:00pm to 5:00am
	GY
India(CBFC)	U						UA 7+						UA 13+			UA 16+		A				S	A: May only air after 11:00pm
Indonesia	N/A	SU					A-BO						R-BO					D				N/A	D: May only air from 10:00pm to 3:00am
		P-BO
		P					A						R
Israel	Unrated											12+			15+			18+				E	N/A
	AP
Italy	T											12		14				18				N/A	N/A
	BA
Lithuania	Unrated						N-7							N-14				S				N/A	N-14: May air from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. S: May air from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Malaysia	U											P12	13			16		18				N/A	18: May only air from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am
Mexico(RTC)	A											B			B-15			C				N/A	B: Cannot air between 6:00am and 4:00pmB-15: May only air from 7:00pm to 6:00amC: May only air from 9:00pm to 6:00amD: May only air from 12:00am to 5:00am
	AA																	D
Morocco	All audiences									-10		-12				-16						N/A	-10, -12: Cannot be broadcast between 12:00 pm and 7:00 pm (may be broadcast between 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm) on weekdays; cannot be broadcast between 2:00 pm and 12:00 am on weekends and holidays-16: May air only from 10:30 pm to 12:00 am
Netherlands(Kijkwijzer)	AL					6			9			12		14		16		18				N/A	12/14/16: May only air from 8:00pm to 6:00am.18: May air only from midnight to 6:00 am.
New Zealand(OFLC)	G															M		18				N/A	18: May air only from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am
	PG															16
North Macedonia	Green Circle						Yellow Circle					Orange Square				Blue Triangle		Red Cross				N/A	12/16: May air only from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am X: May air only from midnight to 5:00 am
Norway	All Ages					6			9			12			15			18				N/A	12: May air only from 7:00 pm to 5:30 am15, 18: May air only from 9:00 pm to 5:30 am
Peru	APT													14				18				N/A	18: May only air from 11:00 pm to 6:00 am
Philippines	G												SPG									X	N/A
	PG
Poland	BOW						7					12				16		18				N/A	16: May only air from 8:00pm to 6:00pm18: May only air from 11:00pm to 6:00pm
Portugal	T									10AP		12AP				16						N/A	16: May air only from 10:30 pm to 6:00 am
Romania	Unrated											12			15			18				N/A	12: May only air from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am15: May only air from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am18: May only air from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am
	AP
Russia(RARS)	0+					6+						12+				16+		18+				N/A	18+: May only air from 11:00 pm to 4:00 am on free-to-air services
Singapore(IMDA)	G												PG13			NC16		M18			R21	N/A	PG13: May only air from 10:00pm to 6:00pm on free to air servicesM18: May only air from 10:00pm to 6:00pm
	PG
Slovakia	"Teddy bear's head"											12			15			18				N/A	15: May air only from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am18: May air only from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am
	Unrated						7
Slovenia	VS											12			15			18				N/A	12: May air only from 8:00 pm to 5:00 am15: May air only from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am18: May air only from 12:00 am to 5:00 am18+: and 18++: Not allowed on free-to-air channels
																		18+
																		18++
South Africa(FPB)	All					PG							13			16		18				N/A	16: May only air from 9:00pm to 4:00am18: May only air from 10:00pm to 4:00am
South Korea(KMRB)	All						7		7			12			15				19			E	19: May only air from 10:00pm to 7:00am (can air from 9:00am to 1:00pm on school days)
Spain(ICAA)	TP						7			10		12	13			16		18				N/A	18: May only air from 10:00pm to 6:00am
	ERI
Taiwan	0+					6+						6+			15+			18+				N/A	N/A
						N/A						12+
Thailand	General												PG 13					PG 18		Adults		N/A	PG 13:May air only from 8:30 pm to 5:00 amPG 18: May air only from 10:00 pm to 5:00 amAdults: May air only from midnight to 5:00 am
	Preschool					Children
Turkey	G					7+							13+					18+				Exempt	13+: May air only from 9:30 pm to 5:00 am18+: May air only from midnight to 5:00 am
Ukraine	Unrated											12+				16+		18+				N/A	18+: May air only from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am
United States(TVPG)	TV-G (E/I)													TV-14			TV-MA					N/A	E/I: Must be aired between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. to count toward statutory requirements for E/I programming
	TV-PG
	TV-Y (E/I)					TV-Y7 (-FV) (E/I)
Venezuela	Todo usario																	Adulto				N/A	Supervisado: May air only from 7:00 pm to 7:00 amAdulto: May air only from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am
	Supervisado
Vietnam	P												T13			T16		T18				C	N/A
													K
Country/System	0/1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	Other	Time Restrictions (Watershed)

Argentina[]

In Argentina, the content rating system is identical to those used by the local film bureau.

• Apto para todo público (ATP) (English: suitable for all audiences) – programmes may contain mild violence, language and mature situations;
• Apto para mayores de 13 años (SAM 13) (English: suitable for ages 13 and up) – programmes may contain mild to moderate language and mild violence and sexual references;
• Apto para mayores de 16 años (SAM 16) (English: suitable for ages 16 and up) – programmes may contain more intensive violence and coarse language, partial nudity and moderate sexual references;
• Apto para mayores de 18 años (SAM 18) (English: suitable for ages 18 and up) – programmes contain graphic violence, coarse language and strong sexual references.

Starting from September 2010, it is compulsory for broadcasters to show the plaque Comienza el horario apto para todo público (English: Start time of suitable for all age schedule) and Finaliza el horario apto para todo público (English: End time of suitable for all age schedule) at 6:00 a.m. or 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. or 10:30 p.m. respectively. In addition, the plaque Atención: Contenido no apto para niños, niñas y adolescentes (English: Warning: Content not suitable for children and adolescents) is shown before news broadcasts.

Armenia[]

A television content rating system for Armenia was introduced in June 2006 (first tested in Yerevan in January 2006). Before a programme airs, the voiceover must warn at the beginning of the programme that it may not be suitable for all viewers. The notice must be at "M", "AO", and "A" ratings and last for at least 5 seconds, which reads, "The following programme may not be suitable for those under 16/17/18 years of age. If an anime with the shōnen or shōjo genre is airing, it must be at ratings of "Y7", "T" and "M", "AO" and "A" and also lasting at least 5 seconds, which reads, "The following programme may not be suitable for male/female audiences." Under the notice there should be such symbols indicating male and female gender. If shōnen, the symbol for Mars, if shōjo, the symbol for Venus. Armenian ratings should be displayed for 15 seconds at the beginning of the programme and after leaving the commercial block. The Armenian ratings are as follows: The Armenian ratings are as follows:

General ratings[]

• GA – suitable for general audiences;
• EC – suitable for ages 2 and up;
• E – suitable for ages 5 and up;
• E9 – suitable for ages 9 and up;
• T – suitable for ages 12 and up;
• M – suitable for ages 16 and up;
• AO – suitable for ages 17 and up;
• A – suitable only for adults ages 18 and up, it can be broadcast from 8:00 to 14:00 on weekends (from 9:00 to 15:00 on weekdays and from 22:00 to 6:00 daily for "Armenia TV") to 6:00 daily free-to-air (except for premium channels).

Children ratings[]

• Y – aimed at children ages 0–7;
• Y7 – aimed at children ages 7 and up;
• TW – aimed at children ages 9 and up.

Australia[]

In Australia, the Australian TV content rating system rates television programs.

It would use the following ratings:

• G: General
• PG: Parental Guidance (Parental guidance recommended)
• M: Mature (Recommended for mature audiences): May only air from 7:30pm to 5:00am (on school days, M can air from 12:00pm to 3:00pm)
• MA 15+: Mature Accompanied (Not suitable for people under 15. Under 15s must be accompanied by a parent or an adult guardian): May only air from 8:30pm to 5:00am

In addition, these ratings are used only on Paid TV:

• R 18+: Restricted (Restricted to aged 18 and over)

• X 18+: Restricted (Adults only; contains unsimulated sexual content)

• E: Exempt from Classification (E)

Paid TV is different than Free TV. On Paid TV, M and MA don't have restrictions on time.

Children[]

Only to TV, children ratings appear.

• : Preschool (no advertisements allowed, no prizes may be given or offered)
• : Children (under 14 years but above preschool age)

Until October 2020, quotes were used for hours each week in requirements (P: 130 hours and C: 260 hours). After October 2020, there is no requirements about children's programs.

Discontinued[]

• : Mature Accompanied - Adult Violence (Not suitable for people under 15. Under 15s must be accompanied by a parent or an adult guardian): This is used for stronger and more frequent violence. However, in December 1st 2015, this was removed and those descriptors of such violent content goes to MA 15+ instead.
• : Mature Accompanied - Violence (Not suitable for people under 15. Under 15s must be accompanied by a parent or an adult guardian): This was similar to the AV 15+ rating but was on SBS.

Brazil[]

In Brazil, ClassInd (English: The advisory system) is responsible to rate TV programs. ClassInd rated TV programs since 2006. The ratings are advisory unlike films.

• L/AL: All ages admitted
• 10/A10: Not recommended for children under 10
• 12/A12: Not recommended for children under 12
• 14/A14: Not recommended for children under 14
• 16/A16: Not recommended for children under 16
• 18/A18: Not recommended for children under 18

All classifications can all air day after August 31, 2016. The watershed was abolished on August 31 ,2016 due to a controversial decision by the Supreme Federal Court. L and 10 are the only ratings that air all day. From night until after 5:00pm, the rest can air. They're are restrictions at night at when 12, 14, 16, and 18 can air. After 8pm, 12 can air. After 9pm, 14 can air. After 10pm, 16 can air. After 11pm, 18 can air. The watershed only applies to free-to-air TV, not pay TV.

Bulgaria[]

All television stations show the rating during the broadcast in Bulgaria. In the current system there are five rating categories:

• Unrated - Can be viewed for all age.
• 12 - Content suitable for viewers over the age of 12.
• 14 - Content suitable for viewers over the age of 14.
• 16 - Content suitable for viewers over the age of 16.
• 18 - Content suitable for viewers over the age of 18. (Not allowed to air before 23:00)

Please note that due to the same age limits in both motion pictures and television, Unrated is equivalent to A and B, 12 is equivalent to C, 14 is equivalent to C+, 16 is equivalent to D+ and D, and 18 is equivalent to X.

Canada[]

English[]

English programs use the following:

• C: Particularly suitable for young children
• C8: Recommended for children 8 years and over
• G: Recommended for all ages
• PG: Parental guidance recommended
• 14+: Ages 14 and over (may only air from 6pm to 6am)
• 18+: Ages 18 and over (may only air from 9pm to 5:30am)

French[]

French programs use the following:

• G (Général): All ages
• 8+ ans: From age 8
• 13+ ans: From age 13
• 16+ ans: From age 16
• 18+ ans: From age 18
• E: Exempt

Chile[]

The National Association of Television devised a content rating system in 1993.

Child specific[]

• I: Infantil (English: for children) – programmes suitable for all children;
• I7: Infantil para mayores de 7 años – programmes recommended for children ages 7 or older;
• I10: Infantil para mayores de 10 años – programmes recommended for children ages 10 or older;
• I12: Infantil para mayores de 12 años – programmes recommended for children and teens ages 12 or older.

Standard ratings[]

• F: Familiar (family) – programmes suitable for a general audience, with content appropriate for all ages;
• R: Responsabilidad compartida (shared responsibility) – programmes may have content not suitable for children under 12 not accompanied by an adult;
• A: Adulto (adult) – programmes suitable for adult audiences only (ages 18 or older), may contain coarse language, violence, and sexual or explicit situations, access to these programmes is locked by a personal password.

China[]

In China, Hong Kong and Taiwan have their rating systems, while the Chinese mainland don't.

Hong Kong[]

Hong Kong's rating system is (if unrated, it's for all ages):

• PG: Parental Guidance Suggested
• M: Recommended for ages 18 and above

PG can't air from 4:30pm until 8:00pm due to the time of family viewing. M may only air from 11:30pm until 6:00am.

Taiwan[]

Taiwan has its current TV rating system as of 2017.

There were 4 ratings, and they were:

• G (0): All ages
• P (6): Under 6 not admitted, and 6 to 11 must be accompanied by an adult
• PG (12): Under 12 not admitted (Until 2017, 12 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult)
• R (18): Under 18 not admitted

In 2017 the PG was spilt, and a new PG was added:

• PG (15): Under 15 not admitted

Colombia[]

In Colombia, the ratings divide into times:

Monday-Friday[]

• 7:00am-9:30pm: PTA
• 4:00pm-5:00pm: I
• 7:00am-4:00pm/5:00pm-9:10pm: F
• 9:30pm-7:00am: Adultos

Saturday[]

• 7:00am-9:30pm: PTA
• 8:00am-10:00am: I
• 7:00am-8:00pm: F
• 9:30pm-7:00am: Adultos

Sunday[]

• 7:00am-9:30pm: PTA
• 8:00am-10:00am: I
• 10:00am-9:30pm: F
• 9:30pm-7:00am: Adultos

Croatia[]

In Croatia, television networks show the rating during the broadcast. The Hrvatska Radiotelevizija (Croatian Radiotelevision) channels, RTL Televizija, RTL 2, Nova TV and Doma TV all display warnings before a broadcast not meant for a general audience. Broadcasts meant for all audiences do not have a rating. With that in mind, the rating system is the following:

• 12 - Content suitable for children of 12 years of age or older.
• 15 - Content suitable for teens of 15 years of age or older.
• 18 - Content suitable for adults of 18 years of age or older.

Cyprus[]

In Cyprus, television networks displays warnings before a broadcast not meant for a general audience. Broadcasts meant for all audiences do not have a rating. With that in mind, the rating system is the following:

• K - Content suitable for all viewers.
• 12 - Content suitable for children of 12 years of age or older.
• 15 - Content suitable for teens of 15 years of age or older.
• 18 - Content suitable for adults of 18 years of age or older. (Broadcast allowed from 1:00 to 6:00)

Czech Republic[]

On Czech television, programmes with potentially shocking or harmful content could air only between 10:00pm and 6am and with a star-shaped marker on either corner of the screen indicating it was for adults.

Denmark[]

In Fall 2020, the Media Council made it mandatory for Danish television channels and streaming/VOD services to assign Danish ratings to all available titles. This only applies to television channels and streaming/VOD services that are based in Denmark (e.g. DR channels, DR TV, TV 2 channels, TV 2 Play, etc.); all foreign/international television channels and streaming/VOD services available in Denmark (including the streaming services Disney+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Max and SkyShowtime) are legally exempted from this rule completely.[1][2] The ratings are identical to the ones used for theatrically released films and home video, and are purely advisory.

• A: Suitable for all ages. Equivalent to G or PG for movies, and TV-Y, TV-G or TV-Y7 for television.
• 7: Suitable for audiences over the age of 7. Equivalent to PG or PG-13 for movies, and TV-Y7, TV-Y7-FV or TV-PG for television.
• 11: Suitable for audiences over the age of 11. Equivalent to PG-13 for movies, and TV-14 for television.
• 15: Approved for audiences over the age of 15. Equivalent to R, NC-17 or no rating for movies; and TV-MA for television.

The following types of programming are legally exempted from classification on Danish TV channels and streaming/VOD services:

1. News and current affairs programs
2. Teaching and research programs
3. Information programs about non-profit, political or religious activities
4. Music programs
5. Sports programs
6. Hobby, instructional and leisure programs
7. Live broadcasts
8. Introductions to programs

Ecuador[]

Article 65 of the Communications Law of Ecuador presents the following classification:

• A: Apto para todo público (Suitable for all age groups). It can be transmitted at any time, especially in the "FAMILIAR" (FAMILY), from 6:00 to 18:00.
• B: Apto para todo público, con vigilancia de una persona adulta (Suitable for all age groups, with supervision of an adult). Under 12 needs an adult. It can be transmitted at any time, especially in "RESPONSABILIDAD COMPARTIDA" (SHARED RESPONSIBILITY), from 18:00 to 22:00; but not during FAMILIAR.
• C: Apto solo para personas adultas (Suitable only for adults). It can be transmitted only during the hours of "ADULTOS" (ADULT), from 22:00 to 6:00.

The classification to which belongs each programme will be arranged by the Consejo de Regulación y Desarrollo de la Información y Comunicación (Regulatory and Development Council of Information and Communication) depending on the parameters which are considered relevant.

In addition, in article 60, on the identification and classification of the types of content, the Organic Law of Communication establishes five types of classification to which each program broadcast in the different time slots belongs:

• I: Informativos (Informative)
• O: De opinión (Opinion)
• F: Formativos/educativos/culturales (Formative/educational/cultural)
• E: Entretenimiento (Entertainment)
• D: Deportivos (Sports)
• P: Publicitarios (Advertising)
• PNC: Publicidad no comercial (Non-commercial advertising)
• T: Televentas (Telesales)

El Salvador[]

The Dirección de Espectáculos Públicos, Radio y Televisión (Direction of Public Shows, Radio and Television), entity attached to the Ministerio de Gobernación y Desarrollo Territorial (Ministry of Interior and Territorial Development), regulates the contents exhibited in Salvadoran television.

• A: Apto para todo público (Suitable for all age groups). It can be transmitted at any time.
• B: Apto para mayores de 12 años (Suitable for over 12 years). It can be transmitted at any time.
• C: Apto para mayores de 15 años (Suitable for over 15 years). It can be transmitted at any time.
• D: Apto para mayores de 18 años (Suitable for over 18 years). It can be transmitted at any time.
• E: Apto para mayores de 21 años (Suitable for over 21 years). It can be transmitted from 22:00 to 5:00.

Finland[]

A content rating system was introduced for Finnish television broadcasts in 2004. The initial ratings system for television programmes shown on Finnish television channels consists of the following:

• S – allowed at all times;
• K7 – not allowed air before 7:00 a.m., not recommended for children under 7;
• K12 – not allowed air before 5:00 p.m., not recommended for children under 12;
• K16 – not allowed air before 9:00 p.m., not recommended for children under 16;
• K18 – not allowed air before 11:00 p.m., not recommended for children under 18.

If a programme is classified as 'K16' or 'K18', a notification must be shown before broadcast.

France[]

In France, the ratings appear (if no rating appears, it's for all ages):

• 10: Not recommended for children under 10 (Not allowed during children's rating series)
• 12: Not recommended for children under 12 (May only air from 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• 16: Not recommended for children under 16 (May only air from 10:30pm to 5:00am)
• 18: Not recommended for children under 18 (May only air from 12:00am to 5:00am)

Germany[]

In Germany, the following ratings are used:

 0 : Contains content that is suitable for all audiences

 6 : May contain content that is not suitable for children under six

 12 : May contain content that is not suitable for children under twelve

 16 : May contain content that is not suitable for children under sixteen

 18 : May contain content that is not suitable for children under eighteen

Greece[]

A new content rating system in Greece was introduced on 30 September 2019.

Ratings[]

• K - Suitable for all ages
• K8 - Suitable for ages 8 and up
• K12 - Suitable for ages 12 and up
• K16 - Suitable for ages 16 and up
• K18 - Suitable for ages 18 and up

Descriptors[]

• Violence
• Sex
• Use of substances
• Inappropriate language

Hungary[]

In Hungary, the ratings appear:

• Unrated: All ages.
  • GY: Child friendly: Optional.
• 6: Suitable from age 6.
• 12: Suitable from age 12.
• 16: Suitable from age 16. May only air from 9:00pm until 6:00am
• 18: Suitable from age 18. May only air from 10:00pm until 6:00am (not just for adult only content, any homosexual contained content is included)

India[]

India uses Central Board of Film Certification for TV programmes. But keep in mind that A can only air after 11pm.

Indonesia[]

In Indonesia the ratings appear:

• SU: All ages
• P: Preschools
• A: Children
• R: Teenager
• BO: Parental guidance suggested. Attached with P, A, and R (They are called P-BO, A-BO, and R-BO, respectively)
• D: Adult

There are also rating variants A7+, R13+, and D18+ for A, R, and D, respectively.

Malaysia[]

Prior to February 2023, the ratings are:

• U (Umum): No age limit. Can be broadcast anytime.
• P13: Viewers under 13 years of age need parental/guardian supervision while viewing. Can be broadcast anytime, but some elements may only be broadcast at night.
• 18: For viewers 18 and above. Cannot be broadcast before 10:00 PM.

Since February 2023, the following ratings are being used:

• U (Umum): No age limit. Can be broadcast anytime.
• P12: Viewers under 12 years of age need parental/guardian supervision while viewing.
• 13: For viewers 13 and above.
• 16: For viewers 16 and above.
• 18: For viewers 18 and above. Cannot be broadcast before 10:00 PM.

P12, 13, and 16 can be broadcast anytime, but some elements may only be broadcast at night.

Mexico[]

In Mexico, the General Directorate of Radio, Television and Cinematography rates all programs. The ratings are used:

• AA: All ages, but also suitable for children under 7.
• A: All ages.
• B: Suitable from age 12.
• B15: Suitable from age 15.
• C: Suitable from age 18.
• D: Explicit content.

Netherlands[]

The television rating system in the Netherlands was created in 2001 by the Dutch Institute for the Classification of Audiovisual Media (NICAM) and is known as Kijkwijzer (ViewingGuide or WatchWiser). The same rating systems are used for both television programmes and films, and serve partly as guidelines (Programmes with the classification 12, 14 and 16 years may only be broadcast from 8pm and with the classification 18 years from midnight. Cinemas and theaters in the country cannot provide films with the classification 16 years to people under the age of 16). They are the same as Dutch film ratings.

The following age ratings apply:

• AL: All Ages (Alle leeftijden)
• 6: Not suitable for under 6
• 9: Not suitable for under 9
• 12: Not suitable for under 12
• 14: Not suitable for under 14
• 16: Not suitable for under 16
• 18: Not suitable for under 18

There are also six descriptor icons used:

• Violence (Geweld)
• Fear (Angst)
• Sexual Content (Seks)
• Discrimination (Discriminatie)
• Drug and/or Alcohol abuse (Drugs- en/of alcoholmisbruik)
• Bad Language (Grof taalgebruik)

New Zealand[]

Until 2020, Paid TV and Free TV have different ratings. In May 2020, Free TV used Paid TV's rating system.

Current ratings used:

• G: Approved for General viewing.
• PG: Parental Guidance recommended for young viewers.
• M: Suitable for mature audiences 16 years and over.
• 16: People under 16 years should not view.
• 18: People under 18 years should not view.

Times are different between Paid and Free, here is when ratings can air:

• G: Anytime.
• PG: Anytime.
• M: Anytime only on Paid TV. On Free TV, M can air from 9am to 3pm on weekdays, and then daily from 7:30pm until morning.
• 16: Anytime only on Paid TV. On Free TV, 16 can only air from 8:30pm until morning.
• 18: Can't air anytime on either Paid TV or Free TV. On Paid TV, 18 can air from 9pm to 3pm on weekdays, and then daily from 8:00pm until morning. On Free TV, 18 can only air from 8:30pm until morning.

North Macedonia[]

North Macedonia uses these symbols for each programming. Broadcasts meant for all audiences do not have a rating. With that in mind, the rating system is the following:

• ● - Programme can be watched for each age
• ● - Programmes not recommended for children below the age of 8 (parental supervision recommended under this age).
• ■ - Programmes not recommended for children below the age of 12 (parental supervision recommended under this age). Only broadcast between 20:00 to 5:00.
• ▲ - Programmes not recommended for children below the age of 16 (parental supervision required under this age). Only broadcast between 22:00 to 5:00.
• X - Programmes not suitable for audiences under 18 years of age. Only broadcast between 0:00 to 5:00.

The symbols are put in the lower-left or lower right corner on screen.

Philippines[]

Movie and Television Review and Classification Board is the TV rater in the Philippines. It's different from movies. The ratings are:

• G: General - for all ages
• PG: Parental Guidance - parental guidance suggested
• SPG: Strong Parental Guidance - may not be suitable for children without strong guidance
• X: Disapproved for Airing on Television

SPG was added in 2012, uses T (Themes/Tema), L (Language/Lengguwahe), V (Violence/Karahasan), S (Sex/Sekswal), H (Horror), D (Drugs/Droga).

Poland[]

From 2000 Poland has its own rating system.

• B.O: All ages (Uses a smiley face since 2011, from 2005 to 2011 it was a green circle)
• 7: From age 7
• 12: From age 12
• 16: From age 16 (May only air from 8pm until 6am)
• 18: Adults only (May only air from 11pm until 6am, password lock is set, uses a key symbol since 2011, from 2005 to 2011 it was red circle)

Portugal[]

The ratings for Portugal are:

• T: All ages
• 10 AP: Viewers under 10 need parental supervision when watching.
• 12 AP: Viewers under 12 need parental supervision when watching.
• 16: Can't be watched by viewers under 16. (Can only air from 10:30pm and 6am)

Russia[]

In Russia, a rating system was added in 2012, which uses these ratings:

• 0+: All ages
• 6+: Media suitable from age 6
• 12+: Media suitable from age 12
• 16+: Media suitable from age 16
• 18+: Media prohibited for children

Singapore[]

Singapore's rating system is the same as Infocommunications Media Development Authority's movie system.

Times/Restrictions[]

Times and restrictions are different. Restricted ratings cannot air on Free TV.

• G: Anytime.
• PG: Anytime.
• PG13: Anytime only on Paid TV. Can only air from 10:00pm until 6:00am on Free TV.
• NC16: Anytime. May only air on Paid TV.
• M18: May only air on Paid TV and can only air from 10:00pm until 6:00am.
• R21: Can't air on Live TV. May only be around Paid TV On Demand.

South Africa[]

South Africa's Film and Publication Board rates TV programmes differently.

• A: All ages. Can't have descriptors. Impact is negligible. A logo must be displayed in the corner for at least 30 seconds after each commercial break.
• PG: Children under 6 must be accompanied by an adult. Very mild in impact. A logo must be displayed in the corner for at least 1 minute after each commercial break.
• 13: Under 13s are not permitted. Mild in impact. A logo must be displayed in the corner for at least 2 minutes after each commercial break.
• 16: Under 16s are not permitted. Moderate in impact. Can only air from 9pm until 4:30am. A logo must be displayed in the corner for at least 5 minutes after each commercial break. A full-screen warning must be issued before the start of the programme. Should the programme be more than one hour, a warning needs to be shown every half hour.
• 18: Under 18s are not permitted. Strong/Extreme in impact. Can only air from 10pm until 4:30am. A logo must be displayed in the corner for the duration of the programme. A full-screen warning must be issued before the start of the programme and every commercial break.
• X18: Under 18s not permitted, reserved for explicit sexual conduct. May not be broadcast on television or radio. This has been breached twice by e.tv.

South Korea[]

South Korea has two types of TV ratings: age classification ratings by the Korea Media Rating Board (like "All," "12," "15," "19"), and Nielsen viewership ratings, which measure audience size for broadcast and cable programs. Nielsen ratings, reported by Nielsen Korea, show which shows are most popular in terms of the percentage of households or viewers watching them.  

Age Classification Ratings (Korea Media Rating Board)[]

• All: For all ages, similar to TV-Y or TV-G.
• 7: Content may be unsuitable for children under 7 without adult supervision, similar to TV-Y7.
• 12: Content may include horror, some fantasy violence, and suggestive themes, suitable for those over 12, equivalent to a hard TV-PG or soft TV-14.
• 15: May include alcohol, more sexual content, and stronger violence/gore, appropriate for viewers 15 and older, similar to a hard TV-14 or soft TV-MA.
• 19: For adult audiences, not to be aired before 10 PM (or 1 PM on school days).

Nielsen Viewership Ratings[]

• These ratings reflect the actual popularity of shows, with higher numbers indicating more viewers.
• They are often published for different networks (like KBS or tvN) and can be found in news articles or on sites like Reddit's r/KDRAMA community.
• High Nielsen ratings can lead to increased product placement and more seasons for a show.

Spain[]

In Spain, as of 1996, the ratings are:

• Infantil: For children (Some channels only and have their own design)
• TP: All ages
• 7: From age 7
• 12: From age 12
• 16: From age 16
• 18: From age 18

18 may only air from 10pm until 6am.

Between 1963 and 1984, the diamonds (rombos) system was used (although Canal Sur used it between 1989 and 1992):

• One diamond - not suitable for audiences under 14
• Two diamonds - not suitable for audiences under 18

United States[]

In the United States, the TV Parental Guidelines rates shows. The ratings are:

• TV-Y: Suitable for young children under the age of seven.
• TV-Y7: Suitable for children over the age of seven. (May contain fantasy violence (TV-Y7-FV))
• TV-G: All ages (not necessarily interesting children). *Most parents found this rating. It does contain a little or no violence / language.
• TV-PG: Parental guidance suggested (some sources may usually say suitable for ages 10 and up). (May contain mild impact sex, language, and violence)
• TV-14: Unsuitable for under 14, but not restricted. (May contain moderate impact sex, language, and violence)
• TV-MA: Unsuitable for under 17 (some sources may usually say 18), but not restricted. (May contain strong impact sex, language, and violence)

Venezuela[]

Television content in Venezuela is regulated by the Law on Social Responsibility on Radio and Television (Ley de Responsabilidad Social en Radio y Televisión), introduced in January 2003. Free-to-air television broadcasters are required to classify their programmes using the following ratings:

• Todo usuario – Suitable for all ages.
• Supervisado – Parental supervision recommended for children and teens. (only allowed to air between 7:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m.)
• Adulto – Suitable only for adults aged 18 or older. (only allowed to air between 11:00 p.m.–5:00 a.m.)

Program types:

• Cultural y Educativo (Cultural and Educational)
• Informativo (Informative)
• Opinión (Opinion)
• Recreativo (Recreative)
• Deportivo (Sports)
• Mixto (Mixed)

It is mandatory for all Venezuelan television station to broadcast a short presentation, before the broadcast of any programmes, made by the same channel, where the type of programme (recreational, informational, mixed, etc.), type of production (domestic or national independent) elements include containing (such as language, health, sex and/or violence) and lastly the rating of the programme.

Vietnam[]

•  P  (suitable for all ages)
•  K  (parental guidance required for persons under age 13)
•  T13  (persons under age 13 are not admitted)
•  T16  (persons under age 16 are not admitted)
•  T18  (persons under age 18 are not admitted)
•  C  (banned from broadcasting)

References[]

1. ↑ https://www.filmvurdering.medieraadet.dk/medieradet/film/aldersmaerker-paa-tv-og-streaming
2. ↑ https://www.filmvurdering.medieraadet.dk/medieradet/film/tv-og-od

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