A2 Media post on music video regulation.

1. Music Video Regulation

2. What Is Regulation?
Regulation is the idea that content should be given specific guidelines in order to protect younger
audiences from explicit content and ideas. Regulation is controlled by the BBFC who set certain standards
and ratings for different age groups who they believe should be exposed to content specific to their age
via age ratings and certification.
YouTube and Vevo work in partnership with the BBFC on pilot schemes to age rate all music videos and
artists who are signed to Sony Music UK, Universal Music UK and Warner Music UK. The certificates these
companies are looking to apply to online music video content, are 12, 15, and 18. It is expected that
children below the age of 12 should be regulated by their parents and their consent, not by online
platforms.
It was put forward that these rating should appear on smartphones and apps as well as internet use on
the computer.

3. What Do The BBFC Regulate?
The BBFC regulate many different aspects of music videos. The sort of issues the BBFC considers in
classifying music videos include:
• drug misuse
• dangerous behaviour presented as safe
• bad language
• sexual behaviour and nudity
• threatening behaviour and violence
These aspects are wholly considered for the safety of children and their exposure on the internet. The
idea of censoring these categories comes from the regulation of films and how they are age rated in the
cinema.
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/online-music-videos

4. Example…
An example of a music video that should have perhaps been regulated by the BBFC was Frankie Goes To Hollywood,
‘’Relax’’. Although before the time of regulation, the music video contained content that was not acceptable for
daytime viewing and for the eyes of children. The Frankie Goes To Hollywood music video was banned by the BBC in
1984 banning it on TV and all of their radio outlets. Similarly, MTV also banned the music video as they believed it to
be inappropriate.
At the time, the music video was massively controversial and depicted areas of sexuality that were not commonly
talked about as part of every day life. The content of the video displayed many ideas that were not seen as ‘’the norm’’
or comfortable within society at the time, however banning the video had the opposite effect to what was expected.
Banning the video ultimately led to it becoming number 1 in the Top 40 charts due to its censorship becoming the
advertisement for the single.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCpz3LAjxek