Watershed

The watershed is the time when TV programmes that might be unsuitable for children can begin to be broadcast. It begins at 9pm, and material unsuitable for children should not, in general, be shown before 9pm or after 5.30am — protecting children from harmful material on TV and radio is described by Ofcom as one of its most important duties, enforced through its Broadcasting Code.

Unsuitable material covers a wide range of content, from sexual content and violence to graphic or distressing imagery and swearing; the most offensive language must not be broadcast before the watershed on TV, or on radio when children are particularly likely to be listening, and frequent use of offensive language must be avoided and always justified by context. The watershed does not give broadcasters free rein immediately after 9pm: the transition to more adult material must not be unduly abrupt, and the strongest material should appear later in the evening, with Ofcom's rules continuing to protect viewers from offensive and harmful content even late at night.

Ofcom actively enforces the watershed rules: since 2003 it has taken action on more than 300 occasions when broadcasters scheduled unsuitable content before or immediately after the watershed, including cases where inappropriate music videos were shown in the early afternoon. Ofcom's own research has found that the watershed remains widely understood and supported by the public.