BROADCASTING CODE FOR 
THE PROTECTION OF MINORS g S.L.350.05 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 350.05
BROADCASTING CODE FOR THE 
PROTECTION OF MINORS
1st September, 2000
LEGAL NOTICE 160 of 2000.
Citation. 
Protection of Minors.
Interpretation.
assigned to them in the Act.
Pornographic and 
violent 
programmes.
3. Broadcasts shall not include any programmes which might
seriously impair the physical, mental or moral development of
minors, and in particular they shall not include programmes that
involve pornography or gratuitous violence.
Other programmes 
which impair the 
development of 
minors.
4. The measures provided for in paragraph 3 of this Code
shall also extend to other programmes which are likely to impair
the physical, mental or moral development of minors, except where
it is ensured, by selecting the time of the broadcast or by any
technical measure, that minors in the area of transmission shall not
normally hear or see such broadcasts.
Programmes 
broadcast in 
unencoded form.
5. When such programmes are broadcast in unencoded form,
such programmes shall be preceded by an acoustic warning or shall
be identified by the presence of a visual symbol throughout their
duration.
Advertising 
directed at minors.
6. Advertising shall not cause moral or physical detriment to
minors, and shall therefore comply with the following criteria for
their protection:
( a ) it shall not directly exhort minors to buy a product or a
service by exploiting their inexperience or credulity;
( b ) it shall not directly encourage minors to persuade their
parents or others to purchase the goods or services
being advertised;
( c ) it shall not exploit the special trust minors place in
parents, teachers or other persons;
( d ) it shall not unreasonably show minors in dangerous
situations.
Teleshopping 
directed at minors.
7. Teleshopping shall comply with the requirements referred
to in paragraph 20 and, in addition, shall not exhort minors to
contract for the sale or rental of goods and services.
General rule on 
advertisements and 
minors.
8. Advertisements shall not include any material that may
result in harm to minors either physically, mentally or morally.
Misleading 
advertising.
9. Advertisements addressed to the minor listener and viewer
shall not exaggerate or mislead about any features including the
size, qualities or capabilities of products or services. A minor’s
ability to distinguish between fact and fantasy will vary according
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BROADCASTING CODE FOR 
THE PROTECTION OF MINORS
to their age and individual personality. With this in mind, no
unreasonable expectation should be stimulated, such as for
example, with regard to the performance of toys or games by the
excessive use of imaginary backgrounds or special effects.
Prices. 10. Prices of products or services advertised to minors shall
not be minimised by words such as -
( a ) only;
( b ) or;
( c ) just.
Immaturity and 
credulity.
11. Advertisements shall not take advantage of the immaturity
or natural credulity of minors.
Appeals to loyalty. 12. Advertisements shall not take advantage of the sense of
loyalty of minors or suggest that unless minors buy or encourage
others to buy a product or service, they will be failing in some duty
or lacking in loyalty.
Inferiority. 13. Advertisements shall not lead minors to believe that unless
they have or use the product advertised they will be inferior in
some way to other minors or liable to be held in contempt or
ridicule.
Exhortation. 14. Advertisements shall not directly exhort minors to buy
products or services or else to ask adults to buy products or services
for them.
Direct response. 15. Advertisements shall not invite minors to purchase
products or services by means of a communication at a distance
including mail, telephone, computer, e-mail or internet.
Competitions. 16. References to competitions for minors are acceptable
provided that any skill required is appropriate to the age of the
likely participants and the values of the prizes and the chances of
winning are not exaggerated. No proof of purchase shall be
requested from minors who wish to participate in such
competitions.
Free gifts. 17. References to "free gifts" for minors in advertisements
shall include all qualifying conditions, such as any time limit and
how many products must be purchased, and any other relevant
information.
Health and 
hygiene.
18. Advertisements shall not encourage minors to eat
frequently throughout the day.
Confectionery and 
snack foods.
19. Advertisements for confectionery and snack foods shall not
suggest that such products may be substituted for balanced meals.
Safety. 20. Any situations where minors are to be seen or heard in
advertisements shall be carefully considered from the point of view
of safety. It should be borne in mind that, in some circumstances,
bad examples by adults may encourage emulation by minors.
Circumstances to be avoided include the following:
( a ) minors shall not be seen leaning on windows, climbing
or tunneling dangerously, or playing irresponsibly in
or near water;
BROADCASTING CODE FOR 
THE PROTECTION OF MINORS g S.L.350.05 3
( b ) minors shall not be shown playing in the road;
( c ) minors of small stature shall not be shown climbing up
to high shelves or reaching up to take things from a
table above their heads;
( d ) medicines, disinfectants, antiseptics and caustic or
poisonous substances shall not be shown within reach
of minors without close adult supervision, nor may
minors be shown using such products in any way;
( e ) minors shall not be shown using matches, or any gas,
petrol, paraffin, mechanical or mains-powered
appliance which could lead to them suffering any form
of injury;
( f ) advertisements shall not depict toy weapons which are
realistic (whether in size, shape or colour) and which
can be confused with real weapons.
Danger.
places or to converse with strangers.
Behaviour.
mannered and well-behaved.
Anti-social 
behaviour.
23. Advertisements shall not encourage anti-social behaviour
or depict minors behaving in an anti-social manner. Vindictiveness,
bullying and certain facial expressions and body movements can all
be defined as anti-social.
Exploitative 
presentation.
24. Advertisements shall not portray minors in a sexually
provocative manner.
Appearances of 
minors.
25. Treatments in which minors appear naked or in a state of
partial undress require particular care and discretion.
Minors as 
presenters.
26. If minors are used in commercials, they shall not be used to
present products or services which they could not be expected to
buy themselves.
Comments by 
minors.
27. Minors shall not make significant comments on
characteristics or products and services about which they could not
be expected to have direct knowledge.
Testimonials.
services. They may, however, give spontaneous comments in which
they would have an obvious natural interest.
Restriction on 
times of 
transmission.
29. Advertisement for the following shall not be transmitted
during minors’ programmes or in advertisement breaks
immediately before or after them:
( a ) alcoholic drinks;
( b ) matches;
( c ) medicines;
( d ) vitamins or dietary supplements;
( e ) slimming products, treatments and establishments;
( f )  adult only rated film trailers;
( g ) lotteries or similar games of chance.
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BROADCASTING CODE FOR 
THE PROTECTION OF MINORS
Definition of 
"minor".
31. This Code refers to minors who are under sixteen years of
age.
Television 
Programmes 
(Classification 
Certificates) 
Regulations.
S.L.350.01
32. The provisions of this Code are without prejudice to
regulations 5 and 6 of the Television Programmes (Classification
Certificates) Regulations.
