The Watershed is a a point at a certain time in broadcasting, in which programmes with adult content may be broadcasted. According to Ofcom, the watershed is between 21:00 and 05:30. While premium or pay-per-view services are allowed to start the watershed at 20:00. The earlier in the evening a programme is placed, the more suitable it is likely to be for children to watch on their own. Unsuitable material including everything from sexual content to violence, swearing or distressing images.
I think the watershed is a good idea, as it stops young children from watch programmes and films, that are unsuitable for them. The time is suitable as by 09:00pm young children should be asleep. The watershed rule will stop people from becoming offenered and upset. For example a programme like Gordie Shaw, that contains sex, bad language and nudity would offend people, therefore the programme is broadcasted during the watershed.
The watershed rule is sometimes broken. A recent example of this involved the channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, when a scene aired on 19 March 2013, marking the culmination of along running revenge storyline involving a former undercover policeman, Walker, and ex-drug dealer Brendan. The scene ended with Walker screaming while being pushed backwards on to the railway track and on a path of a train before the camera cut away to show the train passing at high speed.
Channel 4 argued it had taken measures to comply with the watershed rules. Ofcom issued a statement stating that the show has breached the rules and to ‘remind television broadcasters of the need to ensure that all material broadcast pre-watershed which features violent scenes is appropriately limited’. They are worried that the level on onscreen violence as increased over the decades. They also stated ‘Broadcasters should consider whether individual acts of violence within a programme are suitable, as well as where the overall tone is malevolent, menacing and threatening, that this also remains suitably limited.’
There is an argument to increase the law and prevent more young people watching inappropriate progrmmes and other media. I think this maybe pointless as young people most of the time would abbay by this law. This happens now as young people go to and watch films that are not the correct age for them, and they play on video games that are targeted for older age groups. A good example of broadcasting age limit that didnt really work, was when channel 4 started to include little triangle signs at the top of programmes that contained, sex, voiloence or nudity, to try and prevent young people from watching inappropriate content. Although this didnt work as young people would espically look out for programmes with the traingle simbol, for a chance of seeing sex and nudity themes.
Some acts are out there to protect young people, like the fact that you have to put in your age for social media sites such as Facebook, but many young people under the required 
age just fill in a fake age, this is an example of why protecting young people from certain material is difficult. Many services online now require you to prove your age through your email, which is difficlut for people to get pass and lie, therefore this process would be more effective. Programming services such as certain SKY programmes and online services like 4oD are blocked by a pin, which again is a good way from prevented young people from seeing certain things, but isnt secure as it won’t be hard to get hold of the pin.
If the rule get stronger and stops young people from viewing the shows that they want, this could become a broadcasting probelm. As many shows attract a younger audience such as Geordie Shaw and The Inbertweeners that would lose huge audinces, as there main audeinces would be around the age of 16 and maybe lower, and if the show is only viewed by 18 and overs, the shows figures and profit will dramtically decrease, this would be repeated for many shows on TV.
I think watershed is a very good idea as it prevents young children from watching material that is unsitable for them. Although i dont belivie that extending or increasing the rule would make a good difference, as many shows and other types of media are aimed and targets young people and would lose a huge audince if the material was only viewed by people 18 and over.
Creative Media Production Blog 