SBS brings watershed forward

Australian multicultural broadcaster SBS is giving adult programming an earlier timeslot as part of its updated codes of practice announced today.

Programmes classified as MA15+ – too strong for the ‘mature audiences’ M classification but not enough to be restricted only to viewers over the age of 18 – will start at 20.30 in future, 30 minutes earlier than the long-standing 21.00 watershed.

The first beneficiary of the new policy is season two of US cable drama Vikings, which will premiere at 20.30 on Monday March 24 on SBS One. The first season was among the highest-rated offerings on SBS last year.

In a statement, the pubcaster said: “This change will enhance SBS’s ability to support the viewing preferences of its audiences through greater flexibility in the scheduling of key programmes, unmodified or edited, and is in response to the changing media consumption of audiences and widespread availability of parental controls in the transition to digital television.”

The daytime schedules are not affected and MA15+ programmes can only be shown after 20.30 and before 05:00. An SBS spokeswoman told C21: “The change has the potential to broaden the field when SBS looks for compelling international acquisition opportunities.”

The code acknowledge SBS’s new services including National Indigenous Television (NITV) and the growth of online and emerging platforms such as SBS on-demand.