topic Why does 'Fish Town' need a PIN to watch? in What's On

Why does 'Fish Town' need a PIN to watch?

StephenSky — Sat, 12 Apr 2025 13:33:16 GMT

There is a little innocuous 30 minute documentary series called 'Fish Town' about a small fishing town, Brixham. Made over a decade ago, it's a quiet, sleepy show, nothing dramatic, yet Sky demands that you often need a PIN to watch it. Anyone know why?

Re: Why does 'Fish Town' need a PIN to watch?

nolte — Sat, 12 Apr 2025 13:46:07 GMT

At least one episode [episode 8. ]comes up with a 12 rating, so if broadcast before the watershed, therefore for this episode at least it needs a pin.

Why the 12 rating, no idea, maybe some strong language.

I notice on live sport, the s word in an interview will bring the presenter "we apologise for the strong language"

Re: Why does 'Fish Town' need a PIN to watch?

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 11:11:42 GMT

@StephenSky wrote:
There is a little innocuous 30 minute documentary series called 'Fish Town' about a small fishing town, Brixham. Made over a decade ago, it's a quiet, sleepy show, nothing dramatic, yet Sky demands that you often need a PIN to watch it. Anyone know why?

Any programme on a paid service (Sky, Virgin, etc.) that has a 12 or 15 rating that is aired between 05:30 to 21:00 requires a PIN. Regardless of parental controls settings, this is activated by default and cannot be turned off as it's a requirement from Ofcom.

If this is on a free-to-air channel like (e.g.) Sky Arts or Challenge and on a free services like Freeview, Freely and Freesat, the PIN is not a requirement as this is generally not possible due to equipment limitations, with the responsibility being put to the broadcaster.

Re: Why does 'Fish Town' need a PIN to watch?

StephenSky — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 13:06:46 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:

If this is on a free-to-air channel like (e.g.) Sky Arts or Challenge and on a free services like Freeview, Freely and Freesat, the PIN is not a requirement as this is generally not possible due to equipment limitations, with the responsibility being put to the broadcaster.

You gotta wonder at the initial classification system. Giving an episode of FishTown a '12' is like giving Gardners World, or Antiques Roadshow a 12, for offering a shock to the guests that get an overpriced valuation of Aunt Rose's old earrings 🤣

Re: Why does 'Fish Town' need a PIN to watch?

TimmyBGood — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 13:16:43 GMT

@StephenSky

I'd assume either mild bad language or scenes distressing to ichthyophiles...

Re: Why does 'Fish Town' need a PIN to watch?

xenon81 — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 15:05:02 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@StephenSky wrote:
There is a little innocuous 30 minute documentary series called 'Fish Town' about a small fishing town, Brixham. Made over a decade ago, it's a quiet, sleepy show, nothing dramatic, yet Sky demands that you often need a PIN to watch it. Anyone know why?
Any programme on a paid service (Sky, Virgin, etc.) that has a 12 or 15 rating that is aired between 05:30 to 21:00 requires a PIN. Regardless of parental controls settings, this is activated by default and cannot be turned off as it's a requirement from Ofcom.

If this is on a free-to-air channel like (e.g.) Sky Arts or Challenge and on a free services like Freeview, Freely and Freesat, the PIN is not a requirement as this is generally not possible due to equipment limitations, with the responsibility being put to the broadcaster.

In other words, as per the Ofcom rules, only encrypted channels on pay platforms can show PIN protected content before 9pm because the free platforms don't support mandatory PIN protection.

Re: Why does 'Fish Town' need a PIN to watch?

Anonymous — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 16:20:02 GMT

@xenon81 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@StephenSky wrote:
There is a little innocuous 30 minute documentary series called 'Fish Town' about a small fishing town, Brixham. Made over a decade ago, it's a quiet, sleepy show, nothing dramatic, yet Sky demands that you often need a PIN to watch it. Anyone know why?
Any programme on a paid service (Sky, Virgin, etc.) that has a 12 or 15 rating that is aired between 05:30 to 21:00 requires a PIN. Regardless of parental controls settings, this is activated by default and cannot be turned off as it's a requirement from Ofcom.

If this is on a free-to-air channel like (e.g.) Sky Arts or Challenge and on a free services like Freeview, Freely and Freesat, the PIN is not a requirement as this is generally not possible due to equipment limitations, with the responsibility being put to the broadcaster.
In other words, as per the Ofcom rules, only encrypted channels on pay platforms can show PIN protected content before 9pm because the free platforms don't support mandatory PIN protection.

Not necessarily only encrypted channels. The likes on Challenge and Sky Mix are on free services like Freeview and Freesat, and programmes rated 12 are sometimes broadcast on these channels like some episodes of The Crystal Maze and Bruce Forsyth's Generation Game.

However, as Freeview and Freesat don't have the capability to restrict programmes rated 12 before 9pm, programmes are shown unrestricted before 9pm

However, this is a grey area of rules from Ofcom. In one section they say it's the responsibility of Freeview/Freesat and in another they say it's down to the broadcaster.

Re: Why does 'Fish Town' need a PIN to watch?

xenon81 — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 19:49:21 GMT

The Crystal Maze and Bruce Forsyth's Generation Game. were both pre-watershed shows popular with families in the 90s. I don't see why Sky rates them as 12.

In any case, if a free channel without PIN protection broadcast anything worthy of a 12 (or higher) rating which contained bad language/violence etc before 9pm, the broadcaster would be in trouble with Ofcom for not sticking to the watershed. Freeview/Freesat channels can't show whatever they like, whenever they like; the rules for them relating to ther watershed are actually much stricter.

Re: Why does 'Fish Town' need a PIN to watch?

Anonymous — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 23:19:21 GMT

@xenon81 wrote:
The Crystal Maze and Bruce Forsyth's Generation Game. were both pre-watershed shows popular with families in the 90s. I don't see why Sky rates them as 12.

In any case, if a free channel without PIN protection broadcast anything worthy of a 12 (or higher) rating which contained bad language/violence etc before 9pm, the broadcaster would be in trouble with Ofcom for not sticking to the watershed. Freeview/Freesat channels can't show whatever they like, whenever they like; the rules for them relating to ther watershed are actually much stricter.

Like I said, it's actually a really grey area.

Ofcom does set rules about protecting children from inappropriate content, but it does not mandate a PIN system across all platforms. Instead, it gives broadcasters and platform operators flexibility in how they meet those requirements.

So I stand corrected. The PIN protection is not a requirement by Ofcom, but Sky enforces it.

On Freeview and Freesat, there is no built-in mandatory PIN system at the platform level. It’s up to the TV manufacturer or set-top box whether there are any parental control settings — but they're optional, and most people don’t use or configure them.

Ofcom rules allow post-9pm content if the channel reasonably expects it to be seen by adults, and trusts the audience to self-regulate.

So if we take a 12-rated episode of The Crystal Maze as an example. As Challenge is generally not a channel for kids and it's unlikely that children would see it, this can be shown before the watershed.