Yep. It was before warnings before a programme became a thing (in circa 1993).
You’d generally never get any warning before a programme/movie unless it had a lot of nudity/sex in it:
I’m pretty sure Seven aired the controversial and still to this day Showgirls (1995) in the late 90s too, remember seeing it listed in historical guides and maybe even caps posted here on MS somewhere.
It was given R18+ (and in the current early-mid 1993> OFLC system with the MA15+) and retains that, albeit I don’t believe has ever been re-submitted for classification, all re-prints just use that '95 rating.
That movie had a truckload of full frontal nudity, sex, vulgar language and at least one truly awful scene of sexual violence which would still be considered graphic today.
An infamous film, which essentially ruined Paul Verhoeven and very nearly the MGM studio.
Actually AO was the equivalent of M. In those days you only had G, PGR and AO.
Then MA was introduced which allowed some of the movies to screen on television with less censorship in a later timeslot.
Before then, we had G, A and AO. A then became PGR.
It all changed, both OFLC and Free TV, with The Silence of the Lambs.
There had long been issues in Australia with many films exceeding what could be accepted at the upper limit of “M”, but would then automatically become restricted to adults “R18+”. So they bridged the gap with an “MA15+”.
Then you have the USA, where many R18+ films in Australia are their “R” or even a lot of MA films here are also “R” there, showing how lenient and accepting their “R” rating is.
So, are you saying that for a long time “M” was basically the highest rating allowed for tv?
AO was the highest rating allowed for many years.
Then in 1993 when the system was changed AO was replaced by M and MA. (MA programs not allowed to air before 9pm)
Another missed opportunity to change the television classification guidelines so they are the same as the guidelines used by the ACB. Surely the classifiers at FTA would want this to save themselves from having to classify every movie and other content already classified.
I do remember the classification “MAO” which was used on the rare occasion.
G = G, C, P
PGR = PG
AO = M
MAO = MA15+
There was AV15+ as well, I feel that came around 2000 (or whatever year close to that when the Free TV Code was next amended).
It was the exact same as MA, but for “violence” at that level (hence AV = Adult Violence), to distinguish such content and had an even later zone, 9:30pm IIRC. I believe as there were a lot of complaints and concerns in the 90s about graphic vioence from parents and the ACMA took a firmer approach to specifically violence.
MA could have violence, but it had to be no higher than violence at the “M” level.
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7flix is airing Happy Gilmore tonight, an often repeated movie in Australia over the past 25 years across Ten, Seven and Nine. Interestingly, it’s “PG” with “Language, Violence, Sex and Nudity”. It was given M by the Classification Board for “Low Level Coarse Language”. I feel rather than a modified version, it might actually be uncut, but Seven have just disagreed with the CB. As in the film, I don’t believe there’s actually any ‘F-words’, rather they’re bleeped and mouthed on a TV monitor during the movie. I think this is also a master prepared for broadcast well over a decade.
Also known as the most pointless classification.
I get what you mean, it was confusing and misunderstood, but I think for FTA especially 20 years ago tried to have a place. You could argue violence is more harmful than the other classifiable elements and especially in the aftermath of events like Port Arthur and Columbine.
It resulted in countless TV crime/police procedural shows being edited, to avoid a 9:30pm or later timeslot back in the day too, such as SVU, CSI and NCIS.
Don’t they still use this?
Nope - was abolished at the end of 2015 - same year that mandatory classification boards were dropped, along with adjustments to classification times (i.e. PG all day, M at 7:30 instead of 8:30, etc).
So what is the highest classification they can use now?
MA15+ is the highest classification that can be broadcasted on FTA and most Pay TV channels. Streaming and select Pay TV channels can air R18+ stuff.
Does that include streaming from the FTA networks?
Possibly, since IIRC they aren’t bound by the Free TV code of practice.
I think they actually are, there is no R18+ content on iView, 7Plus, 9Now, 10Play or SBSOnDemand. And if there was intended to be, it’s modified, like the files edited for broadcast are uploaded. SBS alone has countless examples, quite a few on 7 too.
As per the ACMA Code, FTA broadcasters (all encompassing AFAIK) are never allowed to provide content to viewers that exceeds MA15+.
Binge and Foxtel Now is a different story though I believe.
I guess it isn’t worth the effort securing the rights, or if it’s easier to just use the edited version for both on air and online.
