Pay television content descriptors
Encyclopedia
The Pay television content descriptors give viewers of American
pay television services and pay-per-view
an idea of the content included in a film or television program
. The system was implemented on June 10, 1994 on HBO and Cinemax
then was implemented on Showtime and The Movie Channel
the following month and later on Starz and Encore by the fall of 1994, and is similar to the content descriptors used in the TV Parental Guidelines
, that were added with the Guidelines in 1998.
The content descriptions are shown during ratings bumpers aired prior to the start of a film or television series, immediately after the program's rating. Each premium channel labels its own programs separately, so it is conceivable that a film that obtains a "GV" rating for graphic violence on HBO and Cinemax would only get a "V" rating for violence when if the same film aired on Showtime and The Movie Channel.
Prior to the creation of the content descriptions, premium television channels did not reference the content within a film, television series or special on-air (though program guides provided by the pay cable channels did reference the type of content in each program); instead pay channels usually only used descriptions using the program rating (i.e., "The following movie is rated "PG" by the Motion Picture Association of America
, parental guidance is suggested"). Before the use of announcers to read ratings bumpers became less commonplace on premium channels than it was in previous years, the content in a program is generally never verbally announced when the content descriptors are shown, though Showtime and The Movie Channel did have the program content verbally referenced during ratings bumpers from 1994 to 1997, read by its longtime staff announcer Bill St. James.
A key example of these content ratings is in the 2010 comedy Get Him to the Greek
, which made its premium cable debut on HBO and Cinemax in 2011; the film (originally rated "R" for its theatrical release, but assigned a "TV-MA-L,S,V" rating by HBO and Cinemax, due to its broadcast of the unrated version of the film) was tagged for adult content (due to its pervasive sexual dialogue, drug references and moderate alcohol and drug use, and crude humor, including two scenes involving vomiting), strong sexual content (due to two scenes in which Jonah Hill
's character Aaron Green is seen having intercourse with two separate women on two different occasions, neither of which included any nudity, though one featured Green getting a dildo
inserted in his mouth and rubbed on his face), graphic language (due to the inclusion of 100+ expletives in the film) and nudity (because of two scenes involving topless women, and one scene including partially exposed male buttocks).
font is used for content descriptor icons with either white type on black blackground, or black type on white background. Currently, only the Showtime Networks
continue to use the original 1995 version, Sundance Channel also used the 1995 icons until coming under the ownership of Rainbow Media
. HBO uses Houschka Regular and Cinemax
uses Impact for their ratings icons. Starz use variant icons with a Helvetica
font on a square background, while Encore and Pay-Per-View
use variant icons with a Helvetica
font used for the descriptions on a circle. Epix uses the Blue Highway
font for the descriptors and is the only premium channel to display the content descriptors alongside the film/program rating instead of after the rating information.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pay television services and pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
an idea of the content included in a film or television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
. The system was implemented on June 10, 1994 on HBO and Cinemax
Cinemax
Cinemax, sometimes abbreviated as simply "Max", is a collection of premium television networks that broadcasts primarily feature films, along with softcore erotica, original action series, documentaries and special behind-the-scenes features. Cinemax is operated by Home Box Office, Inc., a...
then was implemented on Showtime and The Movie Channel
The Movie Channel
The Movie Channel is an American premium channel owned by Showtime Networks, Inc., a subsidiary of CBS Corporation, which shows mostly movies, as well as special behind-the-scenes features, softcore adult erotica and movie trivia....
the following month and later on Starz and Encore by the fall of 1994, and is similar to the content descriptors used in the TV Parental Guidelines
TV Parental Guidelines
The TV Parental Guidelines system was first proposed on December 19, 1996 by the United States Congress, the television industry and the Federal Communications Commission , and went into effect by January 1, 1997 on most major U.S...
, that were added with the Guidelines in 1998.
The content descriptions are shown during ratings bumpers aired prior to the start of a film or television series, immediately after the program's rating. Each premium channel labels its own programs separately, so it is conceivable that a film that obtains a "GV" rating for graphic violence on HBO and Cinemax would only get a "V" rating for violence when if the same film aired on Showtime and The Movie Channel.
Prior to the creation of the content descriptions, premium television channels did not reference the content within a film, television series or special on-air (though program guides provided by the pay cable channels did reference the type of content in each program); instead pay channels usually only used descriptions using the program rating (i.e., "The following movie is rated "PG" by the Motion Picture Association of America
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
, parental guidance is suggested"). Before the use of announcers to read ratings bumpers became less commonplace on premium channels than it was in previous years, the content in a program is generally never verbally announced when the content descriptors are shown, though Showtime and The Movie Channel did have the program content verbally referenced during ratings bumpers from 1994 to 1997, read by its longtime staff announcer Bill St. James.
Content ratings
| Rating | Descriptor's meaning | Entailing program content |
|---|---|---|
| AC | Adult content | This indicates that the film or program may contain suggestive dialogue Innuendo An innuendo is a baseless invention of thoughts or ideas. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging , that works obliquely by allusion... , crude humor or in extreme cases, drug references or depiction of drug and/or alcohol use that may not be suitable for children. This does not necessarily account for usage of mild profanity Profanity Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The... . Films rated "PG" or TV series rated "TV-PG" or higher often use this. |
| AL | Adult language | This suggests that the film, special or program may contain profanity, ranging from either mild profanity (such as "damn", "prick" or "ass") to expletives, with or without a sexual meaning; expletives like "shit" or "fuck" may be used once or under four times in a film/program, the program may be tagged with a "GL" descriptor for any additional uses of expletives. Films rated "PG" or TV series rated "TV-PG" or higher often use this. |
| GL | Graphic language | This descriptor suggests that a movie, special event (e.g., a stand-up comedy special) or series will contain a large amount of profanity, often with expletives Expletive attributive Expletive comes from the Latin verb explere, meaning "to fill", via expletivus, "filling out". It was introduced into English in the seventeenth century to refer to various kinds of padding—the padding out of a book with peripheral material, the addition of syllables to a line of poetry for... with or without a sexual meaning. Criteria for the "GL" description is usually for films or television programs that contain the use of two or more expletive profanities (i.e. "shit", "cunt" or "motherfucker", etc.) more than four times during the run of the program. The use of this content descriptor is usually exclusive to films that are rated "R" or television series rated "TV-MA". |
| MV | Mild violence | This suggests that a movie or series contains a mild amount of violent content, either comedic or non-comedic in nature, that may or may not include some bloodshed. Films rated "PG" or TV series rated "TV-PG" or higher often use this, however this descriptor is seldom used in "R" or "TV-MA" rated programs. |
| V | Violence | This is indicative of the program containing a moderate to significant amount of violent content (such as a physical altercation or shooting Shooting Shooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman... ), which may include mild to moderate amounts of bloodshed. This does not necessarily account for incidents in which scenes may contain gory material or the depiction of dismemberment. |
| GV | Graphic violence | This means that the program or film may contain a high amount of violence Violence Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g... , blood Blood Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells.... or gore Gore -Violence:* Graphic violence visually depicted, especially the realistic depiction of serious physical injuries involving blood, flesh, bone and brain matter. This "gore effect" was first visualized in Wolfenstein 3D.... , that is unsuitable for younger audiences or those who are squeamish to such content. The usage of this descriptor depends on how long the blood or gore is actually shown and how much of it is included. The use of this content descriptor is often exclusive to films that are rated "R" or television series rated "TV-MA", though there is rare use of this for films rated "PG-13". Premium cable channel Epix sometimes uses this descriptor in films with only a "PG-13" rating, though all other American premium channels typically limit the usage of this particular content descriptor for "R"-rated films or "TV-MA" rated television series, based on the above description. |
| BN | Brief nudity | This is indicative that the film or program contains a minimal amount of moderate nudity Nudity Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations... , that may either be depicted in a sexual or non-sexual nature (such as a brief glimpse of a man's buttocks), as such the program or film may not necessarily contain full-frontal nudity. |
| N | Nudity | This means that the film or program contains a moderate to significant amount of moderate or full-frontal nudity, that may either be depicted in a sexual or non-sexual nature. This may either be for anything such as the display of topless women or male rear nudity, to in some cases, exposed genitalia; this covers both live-action and animated films that may contain such content. The use of this content descriptor is generally exclusive to films that are rated "R" or television series rated "TV-MA", and only occasionally used in films rated "PG-13" or television series or made-for-TV movies rated "TV-14". On softcore adult programs airing on channels such as Cinemax and The Movie Channel, this descriptor is generally referenced alongside the descriptor "SSC", for strong sexual content, as films that contain simulated or graphic depictions of sexual intercourse will often contain some degree of nudity, whether partial or full-frontal. |
| SSC | Strong sexual content | This signifies that the program may contain scenes of simulated (or in rare cases, actual) sexual intercourse Sexual intercourse Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails... , often seen of a pornographic Pornography Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,... nature, with moderate or full-frontal nudity included. Scenes of men (or sometimes women, though this is not often shown) receiving oral sex Oral sex Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus... may also fall within the criteria for an "SSC" rating. An SSC rating means the sexual content in the program may be unsuitable for those under the age of 18. The use of this content descriptor is strictly exclusive to films that are rated "R" or television series rated "TV-MA". However, premium cable channel Epix sometimes uses this descriptor in films with only a "PG-13" rating (revised to reference general sexual content (used as "SC"), rather than content of a graphic sexual nature); all other American premium channels typically limit the usage of this particular content descriptor for "R"-rated films or "TV-MA" rated television series or films, based on the above description. On softcore adult programs airing on channels such as Cinemax and The Movie Channel, this descriptor is generally referenced alongside the descriptor "N", for nudity, as films that contain simulated or graphic depictions of sexual intercourse will often contain some degree of nudity, whether partial or full-frontal. |
| RP | Rape | This denotes the film or program may contain graphic scenes of forced sexual intercourse Rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The... , depicted in a realistic and often violent, but fictional nature. Any program that contains such content is not suitable for children under the age of 18, or anyone who objects and/or is uncomfortable with scenes containing rape. The use of this content descriptor is strictly exclusive to films that are rated "R" or television series rated "TV-MA", but is rarely used unless the program contains scenes of rape. |
Examples
Virtually all softcore pornographic adult films broadcast on pay television networks are given content ratings for strong sexual content, nudity, adult content and adult language; although occasionally, an adult movie may be tagged for a scene that contains some degree of violent content, if included. G-rated films, however, are typically not given content ratings as most do not feature any objectionable content.A key example of these content ratings is in the 2010 comedy Get Him to the Greek
Get Him to the Greek
Get Him to the Greek is a 2010 American comedy film written, produced, and directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Jonah Hill and Russell Brand. The film was released on June 4, 2010. Get Him to the Greek is a spin-off sequel of Stoller's 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall, reuniting director...
, which made its premium cable debut on HBO and Cinemax in 2011; the film (originally rated "R" for its theatrical release, but assigned a "TV-MA-L,S,V" rating by HBO and Cinemax, due to its broadcast of the unrated version of the film) was tagged for adult content (due to its pervasive sexual dialogue, drug references and moderate alcohol and drug use, and crude humor, including two scenes involving vomiting), strong sexual content (due to two scenes in which Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill Feldstein , known professionally as Jonah Hill, is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian. Hill is best known roles for his roles in Superbad, Knocked Up, and Get Him to the Greek. He made his theatrical debut in I Heart Huckabees, alongside Jason Schwartzman and Dustin...
's character Aaron Green is seen having intercourse with two separate women on two different occasions, neither of which included any nudity, though one featured Green getting a dildo
Dildo
A dildo is a sex toy, often explicitly phallic in appearance, intended for bodily penetration during masturbation or sex with partners.- Description and uses :...
inserted in his mouth and rubbed on his face), graphic language (due to the inclusion of 100+ expletives in the film) and nudity (because of two scenes involving topless women, and one scene including partially exposed male buttocks).
Use of content descriptors based on rating
| Movie/TV Rating | AC (Adult content) |
AL (Adult language) |
GL (Graphic language) |
MV (Mild violence) |
V (Violence) |
GV (Graphic violence) |
BN (Brief nudity) |
N (Nudity) |
SSC (Strong sexual content) |
RP (Rape) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 (unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
||
(unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
 (used) |
(exclusive use) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
|
| G/TV-G | (unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
| PG/TV-PG | (used) |
(used) |
(unused) |
(used) |
(used) |
(unused) |
(rarely used) |
(very rarely used) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
| PG-13/TV-14 | (used) |
(used) |
(unused) |
(used) |
(used) |
(rarely used) |
(sometimes used) |
(occasionally used) |
(unused) |
(unused) |
| R/TV-MA | (sometimes used) |
(used) |
(sometimes used) |
(rarely used) |
(used) |
(used) |
(used) |
(used) |
(exclusive use) |
(exclusive use) |
Design variations
Regularly, the ChicagoChicago (typeface)
Chicago is a sans-serif typeface designed by Susan Kare for Apple Computer. It was used in the Macintosh operating system user interface between 1984 and 1997 and was an important part of Apple’s brand identity. It is also used in early versions of the iPod user interface...
font is used for content descriptor icons with either white type on black blackground, or black type on white background. Currently, only the Showtime Networks
Showtime Networks
Showtime Networks, Inc. is the corporate division of media conglomerate CBS Corporation.The company was established in 1983 as Showtime/The Movie Channel, Inc. after Viacom and Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment merged their premium channels, Showtime and The Movie Channel respectively, into one...
continue to use the original 1995 version, Sundance Channel also used the 1995 icons until coming under the ownership of Rainbow Media
Rainbow Media
AMC Networks is an entertainment company in the United States that owns the national cable channels AMC, IFC, WE tv, and Sundance Channel; the regional News 12 Networks, the art house movie theater IFC Center in New York, New York, and the film company IFC Films.The company was originally launched...
. HBO uses Houschka Regular and Cinemax
Cinemax
Cinemax, sometimes abbreviated as simply "Max", is a collection of premium television networks that broadcasts primarily feature films, along with softcore erotica, original action series, documentaries and special behind-the-scenes features. Cinemax is operated by Home Box Office, Inc., a...
uses Impact for their ratings icons. Starz use variant icons with a Helvetica
Helvetica
Helvetica is a widely used sans-serif typeface developed in 1957 by Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann.-Visual distinctive characteristics:Characteristics of this typeface are:lower case:square dot over the letter i....
font on a square background, while Encore and Pay-Per-View
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
use variant icons with a Helvetica
Helvetica
Helvetica is a widely used sans-serif typeface developed in 1957 by Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann.-Visual distinctive characteristics:Characteristics of this typeface are:lower case:square dot over the letter i....
font used for the descriptions on a circle. Epix uses the Blue Highway
FHWA Series fonts
The FHWA Series fonts are a set of sans-serif typefaces developed by the United States Federal Highway Administration and used for road signage in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, Spain, The Netherlands, Turkey, Brazil and New Zealand. The fonts were created to maximize legibility at a...
font for the descriptors and is the only premium channel to display the content descriptors alongside the film/program rating instead of after the rating information.