V-chip vote sparks warning of chaos

Date: 14/11/1996

BROADCASTERS have warned that regulatory chaos could hit the industry if a vote by the European Parliament in favour of so-called V-chips is backed by governments.

The alert comes after MEPs called this week for V-chips, which allow parents to filter programmes watched by children, to be introduced on new television sets as soon as possible.

Broadcasters say that with new apparatus being only slowly phased in, a mixture of television sets with and without the V-chip will be on the market for the next 15 years.

However, the introduction of the V-chip would prompt some broadcasters to question whether they should still be subject to existing rules, such as controls on early evening transmission of violent and sexually-explicit material, if parents were taking on the role of censors.

“We had this argument in the UK. At first everyone was enthusiastic about V-chips but then the problems began to be realised,” said Ross Biggam, head of European affairs for the ITV Association. “Forcing V-chips could lead to a regulatory twilight zone,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Parliament this week abandoned its demand for mandatory rules requiring EU broadcasters to devote a minimum of 51&percent; of screen time to European programmes, after the move failed to win enough support to amend the Council of Ministers' proposal.

Although a majority of those who voted were in favour of the principle, it did not gain the backing of an absolute majority of all 626 MEPs.