Film Regulation - BBFC

• Established in 1912 and originally called the British Board of Film Censors. It was in response to the Cinematograph Act 1909, as this had introduced Censorship to the industry.
• BBFC is  a non-government organisation, but there were times that they worked with the government to censor some aspects of film. During WW2 they worked together to make sure that extreme political views were not shown.
• The BBFC gets its funding through charging film distributions for their services. 
• The board 'cuts' few films. Any cuts are listed on its website along with the length of any cut and the reasons for it. Products may choose to cut parts of a film to reduce the rating the BBFC have given. Why?
• local authorities can also go against the BBFC if they feel it's in the public interest.

Why regulate?

• To protect children and vulnerable adults from potentially harmful or otherwise unsuitable content.
• To empower consumers, particularly parents and those with responsibility for children, to make informed viewing decisions.

The BBFC - How it works

• A group of people called examiners watch the whole film. This is either done individually or in pairs.
• They will make notes on what they see under different categories.

- Themes and impact

- Discrimination

- Drug use

- Sex and nudity 

- Threat and Violence 

- Imitable behavior

-Bad language

Media Regulation: Livingstone and Lunt

Their theory argues:

• In UK regulation, there is a struggle between the interest of citizens and the interest of consumers. This is a struggle between protecting the public from harmful or offensive material, but still offering them choice, value for money and market competition
• The power of media corporations, convergence and developments in production, distribution and marketing have placed traditional approaches media regulation risk.