Daytime PIN Research 2017
MC No: MCMR/174 Research report 14 March 2018
Contents
Glossary of terms ...... 4 1. Executive summary ...... 6 1.1 Key findings ...... 6 1.2 Background to the research ...... 6 1.3 Current viewing ...... 7 1.4 Viewing safety and protection tools ...... 8 1.5 Awareness and use of PINs ...... 9 1.6 Reactions to the suggestion that a mandatory PIN could be used to show post- watershed programmes during the day ...... 10 2. Introduction ...... 12 2.1 Background...... 12 2.2 Research objectives ...... 13 2.3 Research methodology and sample ...... 13 3. Current viewing ...... 15 3.1 Introduction ...... 15 3.2 Key findings ...... 15 3.3 Family TV viewing ...... 16 3.4 On-demand viewing ...... 17 3.5 Post-watershed viewing ...... 19 4. Viewing safety and protection tools ...... 22 4.1 Introduction ...... 22 4.2 Key findings ...... 22 4.3 Children’s viewing safety and parental strategies ...... 23 4.4 The 9pm watershed ...... 25 4.5 PIN protection ...... 25 4.6 Programme information and ratings ...... 27 4.7 User age verification ...... 27 5. Awareness and use of PINs ...... 29 5.1 Introduction ...... 29 5.2 Key findings ...... 29
5.3 Awareness of PINs ...... 30 5.4 Use of PINs...... 30 5.5 Older children’s knowledge of PINs ...... 34 5.6 Confidence in PINs ...... 36 5.7 PIN improvements ...... 37 6. Reaction to the suggestion that post-watershed programmes could be shown during the day if protected by a mandatory PIN ...... 38 6.1 Introduction ...... 38 6.2 Key findings ...... 38 6.3 Appetite for post-watershed content during the day ...... 39 6.4 Reactions to the suggestion that post-watershed programmes might be shown during the day if protected by a mandatory PIN ...... 40 6.5 Suggestions for improvement ...... 46 Appendix A: Quantitative technical report ...... 49 Appendix B: Young people (11-17) questionnaire ...... 52 Appendix C: Adults (16+) questionnaire ...... 58 Appendix D: Qualitative sample design ...... 69 Appendix E: Qualitative group discussion guide ...... 71 Appendix F: Qualitative stimulus ...... 75
Glossary of terms
EPG (electronic programme guide)
The interactive guide that lists current and scheduled programmes that are or will be available on each channel, and a short summary or commentary for each programme.
Mandatory PIN
A compulsory tool for consumers to restrict access to unsuitable content. This tool cannot be removed or bypassed by the user and requires a PIN number to be entered each time the user accesses the content. The PIN number must be chosen by the account holder and allows only those authorised to view the content.
Free-to-air TV household
Households that view TV through services that do not require a subscription to watch (such as Freeview or Freesat). For the purposes of this report, households using subscription video-on- demand services such as Netflix may be also included in this group.
Pay TV household
Households that have a subscription-based TV service, usually charged at a monthly fee, offering a wider choice of channels than are available for free (e.g. Sky, Virgin Media, BT or TalkTalk). It can be delivered through cable, satellite, digital terrestrial and/or the internet.
Post-watershed content
Programmes broadcast on scheduled TV after 9pm and before 5.30am.
Programme information
Information which describes the content of the programme, including the different types of potentially unsuitable material within the broadcast. This might be information found in the EPG, guidance notes alongside a programme on an on-demand service, or information provided in continuity announcements voiced by the channel before a programme starts or after an advert break.
Scheduled television
Programmes broadcast and viewed according to a schedule set by the broadcaster.
SVoD (subscription video on demand)
Subscribers are charged a fee to access video-on-demand content (e.g. Netflix, Amazon Video), which is viewed solely at a time chosen by the viewer.
VoD (video on demand) and catch-up / on-demand
A service which allows TV content to be viewed solely at a time chosen by the viewer (e.g. BBC iPlayer, All 4). For the purposes of this report, all catch-up, VoD and SVoD is referred to as ‘on- demand’, unless otherwise specified.
Voluntary PIN (personal identification number)
A tool that allows consumers to restrict access to certain channels, programmes or VoD services. When a PIN is set, users must enter a four-digit number to access the restricted content. However, users can opt out or switch off this tool if they choose.
User age verification
A protection tool that asks users to confirm that they are over a certain age before viewing a programme (e.g. BBC iPlayer asking them to confirm if they are over 16 or 18).
Watershed
The watershed begins at 9pm. Material unsuitable for children should not, in general, be shown before 9pm or after 5.30am.
5
1. Executive summary
1.1 Key findings
• Scheduled TV remains a core part of family viewing, although there is ever increasing usage of on-demand services • Post-watershed content is already viewed during the day, via on-demand services, by adults, as well as by some older children • Parents continue to value the 9pm watershed and consider it an important protection tool • Awareness of PINs is high, and half of parents of 11 to 15 year-olds have currently set a voluntary PIN • Many people believe that adults should be able to view post-watershed content during the day, using a mandatory PIN. However, the personal appetite for such a service is somewhat lower • Most parents believe the use of a mandatory PIN to view post-watershed content during the day would offer the same or greater protection than the watershed.
1.2 Background to the research
Ofcom commissioned Kantar Media to research consumers’ use of and attitudes towards mandatory and voluntary PIN (personal identification number) protection systems. Specifically, Ofcom required research among parents of children aged 6 to 17, and a separate survey among 11-17 year-old children themselves, to understand existing user confidence in PINs and to explore whether parents think it is appropriate to allow broadcasters to show, before the watershed, a wider1 variety of content that is more suitable for adults, as long as a mandatory PIN system is in place.
Kantar Media employed a mixed-methods approach comprising a face-to-face omnibus survey of adults (which included a subset of parents of 6-17 year-olds), an online survey with 11-17 year-olds, and qualitative group discussions with parents of 6-17 year-olds.
Although the research covers children aged 6-17, much of the analysis and discussion within this report focuses on secondary school age children (11-15 year-olds). This is because parents, in general, have less control over the viewing choices of children of this age compared to younger, primary school aged children, who are generally more closely supervised. For ease of discussion
1 Under Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code (“the Code”), cinema films classified up to ‘15’ by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) can be shown during the daytime on premium subscription film channels, and up to ‘18’ on pay-per-view film channels, so long as a mandatory PIN system is in place – see Section 2.1. 6
throughout this report, 11-15 year-olds are often referred to as ‘older children’, while children aged 6- 10 are referred to as ‘younger children’. There is less of a focus on the viewing habits of older teens aged 16-172 who, as has been confirmed by our research, are generally allowed greater freedom with their viewing choices.
1.3 Current viewing
Scheduled TV remains a core part of family viewing, although there is ever-increasing use of on-demand services
Scheduled TV (i.e. content broadcast according to a schedule set by the broadcaster) is a relevant and strong part of family viewing, especially in free-to-air TV households. However, the increasing availability of on-demand services, alongside the proliferation of connected devices, is allowing greater viewer control and a wider choice of content to watch. This in turn has led to more fragmented patterns of viewing.
Two-thirds of parents claim to watch on-demand services at home, and 45% say their children (aged 6-17) also watch these services. When asked directly, more than eight in ten ‘older children’ (aged 11- 15) said they watch programmes via on-demand services.
While the television set is still the most-used device for watching television at the time of broadcast, reflecting enduring traditional family viewing behaviour patterns, almost half (46%) of the older children in the survey claimed they were also using personal electronic devices to watch scheduled television.
Post-watershed content is already viewed during the day, via on-demand services, by children as well as parents
Almost three-quarters (72%) of older children claim to watch television after the 9pm watershed, although most of this is shared family viewing (eight in ten are watching with an adult). Almost half (46%) of older children also say they watch post-watershed content alone on occasions. These trends reflect the fact that, like all audience protection tools, the effectiveness of the 9pm watershed depends in part on parental choice and discretion.
2 In the Broadcasting Code, the 9pm watershed applies to ‘children’, who are defined as people under the age of 15. Ofcom recognises that the watershed can also serve as a tool to protect all under-18s and vulnerable viewers. 7
More than half (56%) of older children also watch post-watershed content during the day using on- demand services, rising to more than three-quarters (76%) among 16-17 year-olds. Among those children aged 11-15 who view post-watershed content during the day, 55% had watched it alone and 43% were aware of occasions when user age verification (i.e. ticking a box to confirm they are older than a certain age) was required.
Looking at the parents of 6-17 year-olds who use on-demand services, around seven in ten (68%) claimed to use these services to view post-watershed content during the daytime or early evening. A similar figure (69%) was measured for all adults who use on-demand services.
1.4 Viewing safety and protection tools
Parents continue to value the 9pm watershed and consider it an important protection tool
Parents are concerned about their children’s viewing safety, particularly the safety of older children (over 11) who are beginning to view content unsupervised on a range of devices, with a risk of finding unsuitable programming. Parents of younger children (6-10) feel more in control of their children’s viewing as this tends to be supervised. Parents employ various strategies and protection tools to keep their children safe, but - to varying degrees - they trust their older children to make suitable choices for themselves, which is a necessary part of the process of allowing unsupervised viewing.
Despite changing viewing habits, parents still consider the 9pm watershed to be an important protection tool on scheduled TV. It helps daytime and early evening TV feel safe and trusted, especially compared to the internet, which is an area of greater concern. Parents of younger children (6-10) in particular consider the 9pm watershed to be a useful marker that indicates when children should be in bed, to avoid being exposed to unsuitable content.
Parents also consider PINs to be an important and relatively effective means of protection, especially when used alongside other measures. PINs enable parents to prevent children from viewing unsuitable content, whether accidentally or intentionally, and can prompt children to check with parents. They also serve as an educational tool, alerting both children and parents to what is potentially unsuitable.
Some parents also rely on ratings of programme information, such as that found in the EPG (electronic programme guide), to provide guidance for deciding whether new or less familiar post- watershed content is suitable for their children to view. More than six in ten (62%) parents of 6-17s have noticed guidance notes when accessing post-watershed content during the day using on- demand services, the majority of whom found them to be useful.
8
Many parents are also familiar with user age verification on broadcasters’ on-demand services, (such as ticking a box to confirm that they are older than a certain age) although they have some misgivings, as this measure relies on unsupervised children abiding by the age rating.
1.5 Awareness and use of PINs
Awareness of PINs is high, and half of parents have currently set a voluntary PIN
Awareness of PIN protection is high; more than three-quarters (78%) of parents are aware of any voluntary or mandatory PIN protection tool. Almost two-thirds (64%) of older children (aged 11-15) are aware that a PIN code can be set to block them from watching some TV channels or programmes. Awareness levels are higher among those living in pay-TV households.
Half (50%) of parents of 11-15 year-olds claim to have currently set a voluntary PIN to restrict their child’s access to content at home. This figure reduces to 31% for parents of 16-17 year-olds, indicating that parents allow greater freedoms to, and have less concern about, teenagers of this age. In most cases the PIN was set by a parent (claimed by 94% of 11-15 year-olds).
While voluntary PIN protections are generally valued, they are not infallible because their effectiveness relies on successful implementation by a parent, and the age and technical ability of the child. Three in ten parents of older children (aged 11-15) were aware that their child knows the PIN. Correspondingly, four in ten 11-15 year-olds in households where a PIN has been set claim to know it (although 59% of them claim to have been given it by their parents). The biggest single reason for parents of older children (aged 11-15) not using PIN protection is related to trust; 31% agree: “I trust my child to be sensible/responsible.” A quarter (26%) of parents of older children say they do not use PIN protections as their “child is always supervised/ always an adult present”. Lack of awareness and lack of ability also play a part for some; only 3% of parents of 11-15 year-olds were concerned that their child would find a way around the mechanism itself. Parents place the greatest trust in children, and supervise them least, as they reach their later teens (16-17 years).
Despite some downsides, the majority (85%) of parents of 11-15 year-olds are confident that the PIN protection they have in place provides adequate protected viewing for their children, with more than half (53%) feeling very confident.
9
1.6 Reactions to the suggestion that a mandatory PIN could be used to show post-watershed programmes during the day
Many people believe that adults should be able to view post-watershed content during the day, using a mandatory PIN. However, the personal appetite for such a service is somewhat lower
Post-watershed content is already being viewed during the day; seven in ten (69%) of the adults who use on-demand services use them to watch post-watershed content during the day/early evening.
Many (although not all) parents in the group discussions felt that post-watershed content should be available to view during the daytime, provided mandatory PIN protection is in place. It was felt that such a move would particularly benefit certain groups, such as part-time or shift workers. The principle of choice was mirrored in the quantitative survey; the majority (58%) of adults agreed that adults should be able to view post-watershed content during the daytime and early evening if access is protected with a mandatory PIN. Agreement levels were higher (73%) among those who already viewed post-watershed content during the day using on-demand services.
However, the level of personal interest in viewing such content during the daytime was much lower; only 24% of adults said they would be personally interested in being able to view post-watershed content before 9pm on scheduled TV channels. The main reason cited was they tended not to watch television during the day or early evening, rather than an objection to this type of content being available on scheduled television during the day.
In the discussion groups, the idea of allowing post-watershed content to be shown during the day, with mandatory PIN protections in place, elicited a range of responses. Initially, some parents voiced concerns about the potential loss of safety, and loss of prime-time family content, as well as the temptation for children to watch unsuitable content, and the perceived hassle associated with using a PIN. But other parents were open to the idea, on the basis that it would improve daytime TV by enabling a wider range of content to be shown, while PIN protection would mitigate any risk to children. Parents also thought that it might put downward pressure on subscription prices through increased competition between broadcasters. Some parents, who were initially concerned by the idea, softened their views as they began to see potential benefits.
Most parents believe the use of a mandatory PIN to view post-watershed content during the day would offer the same or greater protection than the watershed.
10
A large majority (79%) of parents felt that the use of a mandatory PIN to watch post-watershed material during daytime and early evening would provide the same level of protection, or more, than the watershed. This figure remained high among parents of 11-15 year-olds (77%) and all adults (75%). Just 29% of all adults believed that the requirement to enter mandatory PINs to access certain channels before the watershed would deter them from using those channels.
11
2. Introduction
2.1 Background
Ofcom is considering whether it is appropriate to update the rules in the Broadcasting Code (“the Code”) relating to the use of mandatory PIN (personal identification numbers) protection systems. Specifically, whether some television broadcasters should be allowed to show a wider range of post- watershed content during pre-watershed hours with a mandatory PIN in place to restrict access to younger viewers. Currently the Code only allows this for subscription film channels3.
To inform its decision making, Ofcom commissioned research to provide an understanding of current viewing of post-watershed content and insights into consumers’ use of and attitudes towards mandatory and voluntary PIN protection systems.
The protection of children is a fundamental concern for Ofcom. One of the main ways to protect children is to ensure that broadcasters observe the watershed: material unsuitable for children should not be shown on television channels before 9pm or after 5.30am. The Code refers to children as “people under the age of 15”, but Ofcom recognises that the watershed can also serve to protect all under-18s and other vulnerable viewers. Ofcom’s review does not examine whether to remove the 9pm watershed, which remains a well-regarded and familiar protection tool for parents and non- parents alike.
Ofcom required quantitative research among parents of children aged 6-17 and 11-17 year-old children themselves, as well as qualitative research with parents of children aged 6-17, to understand existing user confidence in PINs and the level of appetite for the introduction of mandatory daytime PINs for channels other than subscription film channels.
Although the research covers children aged 6-17, much of the analysis and discussion within this report focuses on secondary school age children (11-15 year-olds). This is because parents generally have less control over the viewing choices of children of this age compared to younger, primary school aged children, who are generally more closely supervised. For ease of discussion throughout this report, 11-15 year-olds are often referred to as ‘older children’, while children aged 6-10 are referred to as ‘younger children’.
A voluntary PIN is a tool that allows consumers the option of restricting access to unsuitable content. Most TV sets offer adults the choice to set a PIN for certain programmes or channels, and where these services are available, to the playback of recorded post-watershed content and on-
3 Rule 1.24 of the Code states: “Premium subscription film services may broadcast up to BBFC 15-rated films or their equivalent, at any time of day provided that mandatory restricted access is in place pre-2000 and post-0530”. Rule 1.25 of the Code states: “Pay per view services may broadcast up to BBFC 18-rated films or their equivalent, at any time of day provided that mandatory restricted access is in place pre-2100 and post-0530”. 12
demand services. When a PIN is set, users must enter the PIN to access certain programmes. However, users can opt out or switch off this tool if they choose.
A mandatory PIN is a compulsory tool for consumers that restricts access to unsuitable content. This tool cannot be removed or bypassed by the user and requires a PIN to be entered each time the user accesses the content. The PIN must be chosen by the account holder and allows only authorised people to view the content. Currently, mandatory PINs operate on subscription film channels such as Sky Cinema.
2.2 Research objectives
The aim of the research was to understand audience awareness and use of current TV PIN protections, and to explore whether parents think it is appropriate to allow broadcasters to show, before the watershed, a wider variety of content more suitable for adults, provided a mandatory PIN system is in place.
Specifically, we explored:
• the attitudes of parents towards their children accessing post-watershed content; • perceptions of the effectiveness of tools in ensuring children are protected from unsuitable content; • the use of PINs and perceptions of children’s use of PINs; • the desirability of accessing a wider range of content during the daytime if adequate protections are in place; and • attitudes towards the potential effects on the user experience of PINs being in place on some content during the daytime.
2.3 Research methodology and sample
The study had three stages:
1. A face-to-face quantitative survey of adults aged 16+, conducted in-home using Kantar’s face-to- face omnibus, run over two waves to accumulate robust samples of parents and non-parents. 2,576 interviews achieved, including 837 with parents of children aged 6 to 17; the data were weighted to a UK nationally representative profile; and the fieldwork was conducted between 11 and 17 October 2017.
2. An online quantitative survey among young people aged 11-17 year-olds, conducted online via Kantar’s Lightspeed access panel. Children were recruited via parents who were panel members. Some of the 16-17 year-olds were allowed into the survey if they were also panel members. 553 online surveys were completed, with quotas set by age, gender, socio-economic group and
13
nation. Data were weighted to a UK nationally representative profile, and fieldwork was conducted between 12 and 23 October 2017.
3. A qualitative phase comprising group discussions with parents of children aged 6-17: eight discussion groups across the four nations of the UK (two each in Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow and London), each comprising at least eight participants and lasting about two hours. In each location, one group was defined as pay-TV households and the other as free-to-air TV households, and all groups included some subscription video-on-demand users.
Groups were split by parents of younger children (aged 6-11) and older children (aged 12-17), with the split defined by the age of the eldest child. All groups included a mix of device and content use and mode of TV viewing, a spread of levels of confidence with technology, a mix of mothers and fathers, and included single parents and BAME representation. All participants completed a diary of their TV viewing over a few days before attending the group discussion.
Fieldwork was conducted between 5 and 11 October 2017.
14
3. Current viewing
3.1 Introduction
This section examines the current viewing behaviour of UK adults, including parents of 6-17 year-olds, as well as 11-17 year-old children themselves (with a focus on those aged 11-15). It covers watching content on scheduled TV services4 and on-demand services5, and the devices used to watch this content. It also examines viewing habits in relation to post-watershed content, and whether or not parents are aware and have granted permission for their children to view this type of content.
3.2 Key findings
Scheduled TV remains a core part of family viewing, although the use of on-demand services continues to increase.
Scheduled TV is an important part of family viewing, especially in free-to-air TV households. However, the increasing number of on-demand services available, and the proliferation of connected devices, are allowing greater viewer control and a wider choice of programmes. This has led to more fragmented patterns of viewing.
Two-thirds of parents claim to watch on-demand services at home, and 45% say their children (aged 6-17) also watch these services. When asked directly, more than eight in ten ‘older children’ (11-15) said they watch programmes via on-demand services at home.
While the TV is still the most commonly-used device for watching television at the time of broadcast, reflecting traditional family viewing behaviour, almost half (46%) of the older children in the survey claimed to also use their personal electronic devices to watch scheduled TV.
Post-watershed content is already viewed during the day, via on-demand services, by children as well as parents.
Almost three-quarters (72%) of older children claim to watch TV after the 9pm watershed. While most of this is shared family viewing (eight in ten are watching with an adult), almost half (46%) also say they sometimes watch post-watershed content alone.
More than half (56%) of 11-15 year-olds also watch post-watershed content during the day using on-demand services, rising to more than three-quarters among 16-17 year-olds. Among the 11-15s who view post-watershed content during the day, 55% had watched it alone and 43% were aware that user age verification (i.e. ticking a box to confirm they were are older than a certain age) was sometimes required.
4 i.e. content broadcast according to a schedule set by the broadcaster. 5 i.e. content which is viewed solely at a time chosen by the viewer. 15
Among parents of 6-17 year-olds who use on-demand services, around seven in ten (68%) claim to use these services to view post-watershed content during the daytime or early evening. A similar figure (69%) was measured for all adults who use on-demand services.
3.3 Family TV viewing
Despite fragmented viewing patterns, scheduled TV remains the cornerstone of family viewing, with many families still coming together to watch their favourite shows.
“It’s the weekend where we’ll watch something together” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 6-11, Glasgow Who choses what to watch depends on the time of day. Some parents in the discussion groups explained that their children, particularly younger children (aged 6-11), tended to dominate the household’s main TV set during daytime and early evening, while adults’ viewing interests take over later in the evening when children are in their bedrooms. Viewing patterns change at the weekend with children staying up later to watch films, programmes and/or live shows with their families (e.g. Strictly Come Dancing or X Factor).
This pattern of shared family viewing behaviour is supported by the quantitative data: most (94%) 11- 15 year-olds report watching TV programmes on the main TV set. However almost half (46%) of 11- 15 year-olds use an array of other devices (such as smartphones, tablets and laptop computers) to watch TV programmes. Some families view different content in the same room, at the same time, on different devices.
“My son, he just puts it [content] on the laptop or uses the iPad.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 6-11, Belfast
We can see in the diary examples below (Figure 1 and Figure 2) that the main TV is the most popular device, and scheduled TV the most popular mode of viewing, but on-demand services also have a place.
Figure 1: Diary example A: Free-to-air TV, parent of children 12-17, London
PROGRAMME & DAY & TIME WHO’S HOW? PLATFORM GENRE WATCHING? Dr Who – drama Saturday 10-11am 2 children Netflix Main TV in living room Strictly Come Saturday 6.30- My 2 children and Live Main TV Dancing 8.30pm me Casualty – drama Saturday 8.30- My 2 children and Live Main TV 9.30pm me BBC News Saturday 10- Husband and me Live Main TV 10.30pm New Blood – crime Saturday 10.30- Husband and me Netflix Main TV drama 11.30pm The Great British Sunday 5.15- My 2 children and Live Main TV Bake Off 6.30pm me 16
Channel 4 News Sunday 6.30-7pm Just husband Live Main TV
Strictly Come Sunday 7.15-8pm My 2 children and Live Main TV Dancing results me BBC News Sunday 10- Husband and me Live Main TV 10.20pm New Blood - Sunday 10.30- Husband and me Netflix Main TV crime drama 12.30pm Dr Who – drama Monday 4.30- 2 children Netflix Main TV 6.30pm BBC News Monday 10- Husband and me Live Main TV 10.30pm The Fugitives – Monday 10.30- Just husband Catch up on All 4 Main TV drama 11.30pm Dr Who – drama Tuesday 4.30- Youngest child Netflix iPad 5.30pm The Great British Tuesday 8-9.15pm Eldest child and me Live Main TV Bake Off BBC News Tuesday 10- Husband and me Live Main TV 10.30pm The Fugitives – Tuesday 10.30- Just husband Catch up on All 4 Main TV crime drama 11.30pm
Figure 2: Diary example B: Pay TV, parent of children 6-11, Belfast
PROGRAMME & DAY & TIME WHO’S HOW? PLATFORM GENRE WATCHING? UTV News Thurs 6-8.30pm My son and me Live Main TV
Emmerdale – soap Thurs 7-7.30pm My son and me Live Main TV
FIFA World Cup Thurs 7.30-10pm Son Main TV qualifier – sport This Morning – Fri 10.30-12.30 Me Live Bedroom & main current affairs TV UTV News & Fri 7pm My son and me Live Main TV Weather Emmerdale – soap Fri 7-7.30pm Me On-demand Main TV
Coronation Street Fri 7.30-8pm Me On-demand Main TV – soap Emmerdale – soap Fri 8-8.30pm Me On-demand Main TV
Coronation Street Fri 8.30-9pm Me On-demand Main TV – soap Cold Feet – drama Fri 9-10pm My son and me On-demand Main TV
3.4 On-demand viewing
The quantitative survey indicates that six in ten (59%) adults use on-demand services, rising to two- thirds (66%) of parents of 6-17 year-olds. Use of on-demand services is higher in pay-TV households than in free-to-air TV households. Almost half (45%) of parents claim that their children use these services, with use increasing by age (36% of children aged 6-10, 46% of children aged 11-15 and
17
62% of children aged 16-17). Interestingly, levels of claimed use are higher when children themselves are asked: 81% of 11-15 year-olds claim to watch on-demand services, as shown in Figure 3 below.
More than half (54%) of 11-15 year-olds claim to watch subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) services. During the group discussions, parents often described their younger children using their own zones within SVoD services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. These services felt relatively safe, due to children using their own personal login, and the availability of viewing histories that can be monitored.
Figure 3: 11-17 year-olds’ viewing of on-demand services
Source: 11-17s Daytime PINs Survey 2017 Base: All 11-17s (n=553), All 11-15s (n=352), All 16-17s (n=201) A wide range of online services and apps are used by 11-17 year-olds to watch TV programmes and films at home; YouTube is used most. In the group discussions, YouTube was often cited as being popular among children of all ages for viewing content for educational as well as entertainment purposes. BBC iPlayer and Netflix were the next most-used apps/services by 11-17 year-olds, demonstrating children’s wide range of cross-platform viewing interests, incorporating a range of online, broadcaster and SVoD services.
The quantitative survey highlighted that a growing proportion of 11-17 year-olds are using SVoD services; Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have had significant increases in claimed use since 2016 (Netflix: 37% in 2016 increasing to 47% in 2017; Amazon Prime Video: 12% in 2016 increasing to 24% in 2017). In the group discussions, parents acknowledged the growing use of these SVoD services by their children.
“My daughter loves it [Netflix]. She’s got her own profile, she’s on Netflix all the time. Absolutely loves it.” Pay TV, parent of children 6-11, London
18
3.5 Post-watershed viewing
Most older children watch content after the 9pm watershed, some of which might be unsuitable for them. Almost three-quarters (72%) of 11-15 year-olds claim to view television programmes after 9pm, rising to 87% of 16-17 year-olds. This is corroborated by the qualitative viewing diaries, which provide evidence of older children viewing content after 9pm, particularly at weekends when they might be allowed to stay up later.
Figure 4: 11-17 year-olds’ post-watershed TV viewing
Source: 11-17s Daytime PINs Survey 2017 Base: All 11-17s (n=553), All 11-15s (n=352), All 16-17s (n=201)
Figure 5 below shows the type of programmes that were detailed in the viewing diaries and mentioned in the group discussions. It demonstrates the wide range of programming that is viewed in family households.
19
Figure 5: Scheduled and on-demand content viewed in the household
Much of this post-watershed content appears to be being viewed with parental consent; eight in ten (78%) 11-17 year-olds claim to view TV after the watershed with adults (aged 18+). However, more than half (52%) sometimes also watch TV alone after the watershed, including 46% of children aged 11-15.
Post-watershed content is also being viewed during the daytime and early evening, using on-demand services. Two thirds (69%) of the adults who use on-demand services use them to watch post- watershed content during the day/early evening. And almost half (46%) of the parents of 11-15 year- olds who use these services are aware that their child uses them to watch post-watershed content during the day/early evening; this came to light during the group discussions.
“Me and my son are watching Homeland, which is probably after the watershed yet we’re watching it on Netflix now whenever we have the time.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 12-17, Belfast
There is evidence to suggest that this post-watershed viewing during the day by children is even higher than parents suggest; more than half (56%) of all 11-15 year-olds claim to watch post- watershed content during the day using on-demand services. Again, more than half (55%) watch it alone on occasion.
20
Figure 6: 11-17 year-olds’ post-watershed viewing using on-demand services: alone and with others
Source: 11-17s Daytime PINs Survey 2017 Base: 11-17s who ever watch post-watershed content earlier in the day via catch-up or on-demand services (n=359), 11-15s (n=207), 16-17s (n=152)
21
4. Viewing safety and protection tools
4.1 Introduction
This section looks at attitudes towards a range of protection tools and mechanisms: the watershed, PINs, programme information and ratings, and user age verification. Awareness and use of PINs is explored in more detail in Section 5.
4.2 Key findings
Parents continue to value the 9pm watershed and consider it an important protection tool, especially when used alongside other protection measures.
Parents are concerned about their children’s viewing safety, particularly the safety of older children (11+) who are starting to view content unsupervised and so risk finding unsuitable programming. Parents of younger children (6-10) feel more in control of their children’s viewing, as they tend to supervise them. Parents employ various strategies and protection measures to keep their children safe, but to varying degrees they trust their older children to make suitable choices for themselves; this is a necessary part of the process of allowing unsupervised viewing.
Despite changing viewing habits, parents still consider the 9pm watershed to be an important protection measure on scheduled TV. The watershed helps daytime and early evening TV feel safe and trusted, especially compared to the internet, which is an area of greater concern. Parents of younger children (6-10) in particular consider the watershed to be a useful marker that indicates when children should be in bed to avoid being exposed to unsuitable content.
Parents also consider PINs to be an important and relatively effective protection tool, especially when used alongside other measures. PINs enable parents to prevent children from viewing unsuitable content, whether accidentally or intentionally, and can prompt children to check with parents. They also serve as an educational tool, alerting both children and parents to what is potentially unsuitable.
Some parents also rely on programme information when deciding whether new or less familiar post-watershed content is suitable for their children to view. More than six in ten (62%) parents of 6-17s have noticed guidance notes when accessing post-watershed content during the day using on-demand services, the majority of whom have found these useful.
Many parents are also familiar with user age verification on broadcaster on-demand services (such as ticking a box to confirm they are over a certain age), although they have some misgivings, as this relies on children answering honestly.
22
4.3 Children’s viewing safety and parental strategies
In the group discussions, parents of older children (12-17) had varying degrees of caution, and adopted various strategies in relation to their children’s viewing. Some parents of older children (particularly those aged 15 -17) exert relatively high levels of control, and say they have the final decision as to whether post-watershed content is suitable, regardless of when it is broadcast, or which device is used to view it. As some post-watershed content may be acceptable for these older children, parents often prefer to make a judgement call on a case-by-case basis.
“Say it’s one of your kids… he says, hey dad, there’s a good film on [TV], Zombie Flesh Eaters and come on, we’ll watch it... I don’t think Zombie Flesh Eaters is that bad, it’s a wee bit stupid you know.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 12-17, Belfast
However, other parents of older children (12-17) are more ‘hands-off’ and trust their children to make suitable viewing choices, except where the content is thought or known to contain particularly extreme, gratuitous or disturbing scenes.
When permission is sought by older children to view unfamiliar post-watershed content, some parents refer to programme information and ratings, or consult other parents they trust, before making the decision as to whether to grant permission. More cautious parents describe going even further, reading online reviews posted by other parents, consulting their children’s school, or even viewing the content themselves beforehand.
“My son actually checks with me. I’ll have a little look at the film and see some blurb.” Pay TV, parent of children 12-17, Cardiff
Inevitably, there was debate and disagreement among parents during these group discussions about what post-watershed content was suitable for their older (12-17) children to view. Liar was an example of a post-watershed programme about which parents had divided opinions on whether it was suitable. Some parents would not grant permission for it to be viewed, or selected for shared viewing, due to the subject matter of rape. Other parents considered it to be a sensitive portrayal of a difficult subject, and suitable because it was educational.
“I let her watch Liar with me because I thought actually this is something that might happen to you.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 12-17, London
This illustrates how parents can disagree about the suitability of post-watershed content for their children, and how reliant they may have to be on information and guidance from broadcasters and other parents to help them make their decision.
At the time of the research, Coronation Street ran a storyline about sexual grooming and abuse of young women, which was raised spontaneously, and debated, in virtually every group discussion. A significant number of parents (usually mothers, and particularly mothers of younger children 6-11)
23
thought this theme was unsuitable for pre-watershed viewing; it seemed to them to represent a dilution of the watershed.
“There is some stuff before nine that is a bit dodgy I think... like Coronation Street the other week… wouldn’t let them watch the 8.30 episodes because there were too many awkward questions.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 6- 11, Cardiff
Although a few parents were unhappy with this storyline being included in a pre-watershed programme that they had always regarded as safe family viewing, others in the group sessions disagreed. They saw the storyline as relevant and educational, and considered it was handled in a subtle and sensitive way that they would expect from a programme broadcast before the watershed.
Figure 7: Case study 1
Case study 1: Family with younger children (6-11)
Jeannette is a lone parent and lives with her son Ben, who is 10. They have Virgin and Netflix.
Jeannette likes to keep up with soaps and Ben likes watching sports on the main TV. They both also use the main TV and other devices to view on-demand and online content. Ben is often in bed by 9- 9.30pm but can stay up later at weekends, when there is a special event such as the FIFA World Cup, or when both of them enjoy viewing post-watershed content that Jeannette deems suitable to watch.
Jeannette is supervising Ben less as he gets older. She still monitors what he watches, but not as closely as before. She is starting to rely on trust rather than constant supervision.
Ben can watch some post-watershed content if his mum has vetted it first. She does this by reading any information provided on the electronic programme guide (EPG), referring to the age rating and reading reviews online. When she needs extra reassurance or a second opinion, she will ask trusted parents for their opinion.
When choosing content for shared viewing, Jeannette and Ben avoid watching films and programmes with sexual content, as this can embarrass them both.
Figure 8: Case study 2
Case Study 2: Family with older children (12-17)
Steve is married with two children aged 12 and 14. They use Freeview and have recently bought Netflix, a decision driven mainly by the children.
The children tend to browse TV and Netflix independently on the main TV and on various devices, and stay up later at weekends and during school holidays.
Steve and his wife do not supervise their children’s viewing behaviour as closely as they did when the children were younger, and feel they have less control over what is viewed out of the home on mobile phones and at friends’ houses. Sometimes the children view their own content on devices in the same room, or on their own. The children check with their parents before viewing new or unfamiliar post- watershed content.
After 9pm is normally adult viewing time, but at weekends the family often view content together in the early evening, the adults choosing content with the children’s presence in mind. They check the information provided before deciding whether to view any post-watershed content that is new and
24
unfamiliar. They feel they are more laid-back than other parents, but still avoid viewing anything they consider too adult in theme. Like most parents we spoke to during the discussion groups, they avoid anything that might include unsuitable sexual content, as this is likely to embarrass them all and thereby ruin their viewing experience. 4.4 The 9pm watershed
Despite high levels of post-watershed viewing by children, the 9pm watershed is seen by parents as the most important protection measure - the cornerstone of protecting children from unsuitable content. Its existence is reassuring as well as practical. The watershed is a valuable delineation that can help educate families about suitable viewing for children, and it provides a useful marker as to when ‘adult time’ begins. It is considered less significant as a tool to protect younger children, because they tend to be in bed by 9pm, although it supports parents in setting an early bedtime.
“It’s like a marker for me, because if something that my son wants to see [is] after 9 o’clock I’m checking it. Whereas if it’s before 9 o’clock I’m not so bothered about checking it, because I’m assuming, perhaps wrongly, that it’s not going to have bad content.” Pay TV, parent of children 12-17, Cardiff
Many parents in the group discussions claimed that older children (12-17) often stay up later at weekends and during school holidays to watch TV, which might include post-watershed content approved by their parents.
4.5 PIN protection
Many parents consider PINs to be an important and relatively effective protection measure, especially when used alongside other measures. In the group discussions three important benefits of PINs were identified: they act as a barrier to unsuitable content; they provide a useful signal; and they serve as an educational tool.
The primary benefit is that they enable parents to prevent children, either accidentally or intentionally, viewing unsuitable content. In doing this, they signal potentially unsuitable content, which can trigger parents to make checks before deciding whether to grant permission to view. Parents also consider this educational, because it indicates to children that they need to check with a parent before trying to access the content. It might also educate some less informed parents as to what is and is not suitable viewing for children.
“It needs a PIN so they [children] know they can’t watch this. It makes them more aware.” Pay TV, parent of children 12-17, Cardiff
Parents in the group discussions tended to agree that PINs can be more effective in households with younger children who are less likely to attempt to bypass the barrier. This also allows these parents to feel comfortable using simple numbers, such as 1234, which are easier to remember.
25
Although PINs were seen as a positive and effective protection tool, they were not considered a panacea. They can disrupt the viewing experience, especially when switching channels, they require repeated entry, and older children can find ways to circumvent the barrier by surreptitiously learning the PIN (for example, by watching or filming a parent enter the number). Nevertheless, parents tended to agree that PINs are important for increased safety.
“I think they [PINs] are good. They annoy me sometimes when I have to keep putting it in for me to watch a film but then I suppose it’s worth it to stop my kids watching a film that they shouldn’t.” Pay TV, parent of children 6-11, London
“It’s too time consuming to type in a PIN when you watch it all the time so you don’t bother setting it up.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 6-11, London
Some parents claim to struggle to remember PINs, but easily remembered numbers can undermine the effectiveness of the tool with older children, so they cannot rely on basic number sequences or other familiar PINs that might be frequently used by the household, such as on the lock of a bicycle chain or a garden shed, which might easily be guessed or already known.
“You’ve got so many PINs for this and passwords for that it’s really hard to remember sometimes.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 12-17, London
“Teenagers can always work out PIN numbers.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 12-17, Belfast
After much debate in the groups, most parents decided that mandatory PINs were safer than voluntary PINs. While voluntary PINs can work well when used responsibly, some parents feared that others might put their children at risk through their inability or carelessness in not setting up the PIN. These risks are avoided with mandatory PINs, where the responsibility is taken away from parents. This is reassuring, especially for protection with subscription film services.
“Mandatory is a lot safer.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 6-11, Cardiff
“If it is a voluntary PIN… a lot of people who might not be tech savvy… might not understand that they can set up a PIN.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 6- 11, Cardiff
“Because if it was voluntary some people wouldn’t do it out of laziness.” Free- to-air TV, parent of children 6-11, Cardiff
Although more effective than voluntary PINs, like all protection mechanisms, mandatory PINs are not infallible and rely on parents remembering the number without revealing it to their children.
Awareness and use of PINs is explored in more detail in Section 5 of this report.
26
4.6 Programme information and ratings
Many parents say that they rely on programme information, such as guidance notes and ratings provided in the EPG, or alongside a programme on an on-demand service, when deciding whether new or unfamiliar post-watershed content is suitable for their children to view.
Most parents of 6-17s (62%) had noticed guidance information of some sort when watching post- watershed content during the day using on-demand services. They recollected guidance relating to strong language (78%), scenes of violence (78%), general adult themes (69%), sexual images (59%) and nudity (51%). Most parents who had noticed this information had found it useful (between 83% and 85% for each type of guidance – significantly higher than the proportion among all adults).
The importance of content guidance notes and the availability of programme information (including ratings6 of content) was also clear in the group discussions, although parents tended to use these in conjunction with other tools. Typically, parents first review the programme information (and ratings where relevant) and then, if still uncertain, seek guidance from other sources such as trusted parents, schools and online parental reviews. The most cautious parents view the content themselves before allowing their child to view it. Occasionally, though, something goes wrong: some parents in these sessions described unwittingly watching post-watershed content with their older children (12-17) only to realise, part way through, that it included sexual or other unsuitable themes, which made them either fast-forward or abandon viewing altogether. However, most parents try to avoid this situation, to avoid arguments and a disrupted family viewing experience.
4.7 User age verification
Many parents are familiar with user age verification on broadcaster on-demand services such as ticking a box to confirm you are over a certain age (usually 16 or 18) on BBC iPlayer, and mentioned it spontaneously in the group discussions. This is supported by the quantitative data, which found that user age verification was the second most recognised protection mechanism (39% of parents aware), after voluntary PINs set to restrict certain programmes or channels.
More than four in ten (43%) 11-15 year-olds claim to have encountered user age verification when watching post-watershed content during the day using on-demand services. This rises to almost half (47%) of 16-17 year-olds, a significant decrease from 69% in 2016. This is possibly a reflection of the growing use of SVoD services and the way they activate their age-verification; for example, by using personal profiles rather than age verifications for each login.
Many parents revealed mixed feelings about the effectiveness of this type of user age verification. On the one hand, it can be a useful signal of potentially unsuitable content that triggers children to check with their parents to see if they can view something. On the other hand, many parents acknowledge
6 Such ratings might be those set by the British Board of Film Classification 27
that that the system relies on unsupervised children abiding by the age rating. More cautious parents, particularly those of younger children, worry that this kind of user age verification is not enough as a standalone protection measure.
“It is a little bit lame, like, just saying they just have to say on BBC iPlayer they are over 16 to continue.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 7-11, Cardiff
Although all the protection tools and mechanisms, including the watershed, PINs, programme information (including ratings) and age verifications arguably have their flaws, they are considered important and effective, especially when used together.
28
5. Awareness and use of PINs
5.1 Introduction
This section looks in more detail at the awareness and use of PINs in the household; at who in the household is responsible for setting these measures; and whether children who access restricted content do so with the permission of parents or guardians. It also includes suggestions put forward in the group discussions on how to enhance the effectiveness of PINs.
5.2 Key findings
Awareness of PINs is high, and half of parents have currently set a voluntary PIN
Awareness of PIN protection is high; more than three-quarters (78%) of parents are aware of any voluntary or mandatory PIN protection tool, and around two-thirds (64%) of older children are aware that a PIN code can be set to block them from watching some TV channels. Awareness levels are higher among those living in pay-TV households.
Half (50%) of parents of 11-15 year-olds claim to have currently set a voluntary PIN to restrict their child’s access to content. The level is lower in households with 16-17 year-olds (31%), where parents rely more on trust and apply the least amount of supervision. More generally, parents without PIN protections in place rely on supervision of their younger children, and place varying degrees of trust in their older children to make the right viewing choices.
While voluntary PIN protections are generally valued, their effectiveness is dependent on the successful implementation by a parent, and the age and technical ability of the child. During the group discussions, many parents pointed out that PINs are not completely foolproof - as children grow older they become more tech-savvy and can find ways to figure out PINs. Three in ten parents of 11-15s were aware that their child knows the PIN, while 40% of 11-15 year-olds in households where a PIN has been set claim to know it, and of these, six in ten (59%) claim to have been given it by their parents.
The biggest single reason for parents of older children (11-15) not using PIN protection is related to trust, followed by adult supervision. Lack of awareness and lack of ability also play a part.
Despite some flaws and downsides, the majority (85%) of parents of 11-15 year-olds are confident that the PIN protections they have in place provide adequate protected viewing for the child/children, with more than half (53%) feeling very confident.
29
5.3 Awareness of PINs
Parents’ awareness of PIN protection measures of any kind is high, at 78%, and this is driven mainly by pay-TV households. In households with access to premium subscription film channels and which currently use a mandatory PIN system, awareness of any PIN protection measure is higher (87% of adults with Sky Cinema). The PIN measure of which parents of children aged 6-17 are most aware is voluntary PIN protection to restrict certain programmes or channels (65%), followed by mandatory PIN protection on premium subscription film services (36%). However, without being prompted, some parents in the group discussions were not always clear about the different types of PIN protection.
Among children, 64% of 11-15 year-olds are aware that there are PIN protections on TV channels that can be set to block them from watching. Awareness increases to 72% among 16-17 year-olds, and is driven by pay-TV households.
Figure 9: Adults and parents of children aged 6-17: awareness of protection tools and measures
Source: Adults (16+) Daytime PINs Survey 2017 Base: All adults (n=2576), All parents of 6-17s (n=837), Non-parents of 6-17s (n=1739)
5.4 Use of PINs
Use of PINs is not quite as high as awareness: 58% of parents of 6-17 year-olds have ever used any PIN in their household (mandatory or voluntary), and again, this is driven by pay-TV households. Almost seven in ten households with premium subscription film channels have ever used a voluntary or mandatory PIN (69% of adults with Sky Cinema). The pattern of claimed use of the various measures generally reflects awareness, with use of voluntary PINs to restrict certain programmes or channels being the stand-out measure used by parents of 6-17 year-olds (41%), followed by mandatory PINs on premium subscription film services (21%), such as Sky Cinema. 30
In the group discussions, PINs were considered less effective with older teens (aged 16-17), and this is supported by the quantitative data which show a large difference between use of certain protection measures, particularly voluntary measures, comparing children under 15 with those aged 16-17, (see Figure 10).
Figure 10: Parents of children aged 6-17: use of protection tools and measures (ever used)
Source: Adults (16+) Daytime PINs Survey 2017 Base: Parents of 6-10s (n=504); parents of 11-15s (n=435); parents of 16-17s (n=104)
When parents were asked whether they, or any other member of their household, had currently set any voluntary PINs to restrict their child’s access to certain channels or programmes, almost half (46%) said that they had. PINs appear to be slightly less relevant in households of 16-17 year-olds, with just under a third (31%) currently having any voluntary PIN (compared to 48% of households with 6-10 year-olds, and 50% of households with 11-15 year-olds).
Setting of voluntary PINs is driven mainly by pay-TV households, where more than half (55%) of parents of 6-17 year-olds have them, compared to 29% of the equivalent with free-to-air TV only (where, due to the smaller choice of services available, there may be less need to use a PIN, or in the case of older devices, less technical capability to activate one).
This was supported by the group discussions; parents in pay-TV households were clearly more familiar with PINs on TV, but use also varied by the age of the children. Many parents of younger children (6-11) explained they do not currently use PINs because they do not feel the need. Instead, they closely monitor their children, while also feeling reassured that young children tend to have a limited repertoire of favourite content that they view repetitively and from which they tend not to stray. Younger children largely stick to favourite channels and specific zones within the EPG or on SVoD 31
services such as Netflix. Parents believe that younger children are at low risk of exposure to unsuitable content because they do not venture far and are not drawn to seek it out.
“I don’t think they would pick something that I would have to say no to. He knows what he likes, he knows what he wants to watch.” Pay TV, parent of children 6-11, Belfast
“We don’t use the PIN... He is not even inclined to go browsing. When he gets a bit older we might have to be a wee bit more wary from a parental control perspective.” Pay TV, parent of children 6-11, Belfast
“[For] 11 years old and under, perhaps that’s where they’ll probably be effective, but we’re saying we don’t need them because we’re policing it ourselves and our kids are watching cartoons anyway. Once they go to high school then the PINs become irrelevant.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 6-11, Glasgow
Parents often thought that older children (12-17) were more at risk of viewing unsuitable content, not only because they have more interest in it, but also because they have the wherewithal to find it, and are often left unsupervised when viewing content. Some parents argue that most teenagers know what is allowed and trust them, to varying degrees. Other, more cautious, parents tend to rely more heavily on PINs, especially those who have experienced a child being exposed to unsuitable content.
“Only I know the PIN. They don’t know the PIN. And I would never give it to them.” Pay TV, parent of children 12-17, Glasgow
“No. I don’t use them [voluntary PINs]. Hopefully I think that my daughter is old enough to understand stuff and she’s that kind of child anyway. Maybe I’m lucky.” Pay TV, parent of children 12-17, Cardiff
“Well I trust my kids. So, I don’t think it’s a big issue for me.” Pay TV, parent of children 12-17, Glasgow
“Now he likes to have a little bit more independence, but I trust him.” Pay TV, parent of children 12-17, Cardiff
“I’m also teaching her to be able to be sensible enough for her to think that’s not the right thing to watch... That’s the approach I adopted… Rather than saying no, it’s saying maybe it’s not the right idea and how about you make the choice.” Pay TV, parent of children 12-17, Cardiff
These findings are strongly supported by the quantitative data. Parents who choose not to set voluntary PINs primarily do not because at younger ages (6-10), children are supervised, while at older ages (16-17) parents rely on trust in their child. Parents of children aged 11-15 rely on both adult supervision (26%) and trust in the child (31%).
32
Figure 12: Reasons why parents have not set voluntary PINs
Source: Adults (16+) Daytime PINs Survey 2017 Base: Parents who have not set voluntary PINs in their household. Parents of 6-10s (n=259); parents of 11-15s (n=213); parents of 6-17s (n=68*)
During the group discussions, many parents of older children (12-17), in varying degrees, considered their children to be more technologically savvy than them, and expressed concern that older adults (aged 45+) might struggle with the technology and be intimidated by the prospect of using PINs on TV. In the quantitative survey, lack of awareness or ability was also a reason why some parents had not set voluntary PINs (Figure 12).
As with parents, around four in ten (43%) 11-17 year-olds claim currently to have a PIN set on any TV channel or service in their household, with no real difference across the age groups. As with parents, the number of children who have PINs in their household differs, depending on access to pay-TV services. Half (50%) of 11-17 year-olds in pay-TV households currently have a PIN set on a TV service or channel at home, significantly higher than those in free-to-air TV households (19%).
The vast majority (94%) of 11-15 year-olds who currently have a PIN-protected set at home named their parent or guardian as the person responsible for restricting access to certain TV channels and services. This is significantly more than the 86% for 16-17 year-olds, while almost one in ten (9%) 16- 17 year-olds said that they had set the PIN themselves.
33
Figure 13: Those responsible for setting PIN codes: households with 11-17s
Source: 11-17s Daytime PINs Survey 2017 Base: Any 11-17s with PIN code set on TV channels or services(n=240), 11-15s (n=154), 16-17s (n=86*). *Caution, base size under 100
5.5 Older children’s knowledge of PINs
Despite parents generally holding the responsibility for setting PIN codes, some older children know the codes that have been set to restrict access to content on their home TV service. Four in ten 11-15 year-olds claim to know the PIN, and claimed knowledge of the current PIN is significantly higher among 16-17 year-olds (68%).
Figure 14: 11-17 year-olds’ claimed knowledge of PIN codes
Source: 11-17s Daytime PINs Survey 2017 Base: Any 11-17s with PIN code set on TV channels or services(n=240), 11-15s (n=154), 16-17s (n=86*). *Caution, base size under 100
34
Children’s claimed knowledge of the PIN is higher than parents’ levels of awareness. One in five (22%) parents of 6-17 year-olds are aware that their child knows the PIN. This increases with the age of the child (14% for parents of children aged 6-10, 30% for parents of 11-15s and 33% of parents of 16-17 year-olds). Just six in ten (60%) parents of 11-15 year-olds are certain that their child does not know the PIN.
However, most children who know the PIN claim to have been given it by their parent: six in ten (59%) of 11-15 year-olds said this, increasing to eight in ten (82%) 16-17 year-olds.
Around one in six (17%) of 11-15 year-olds who know the PIN do so because their parents asked them to set it up in the first place, while a further 17% claim to know the PIN as they saw their parents or someone else enter it, and remembered it. This is supported by the qualitative research; some parents claimed they had heard of other children trying to guess the PIN. A few admit to having knowledge of their own determined older children (12-17) trying to overcome PINs by guessing, or by spying on them when they enter it.
In some households, trusted older children might be considered responsible enough to be a ‘code keeper’ alongside their parents, although sometimes this trust might be misplaced; one in eight (13%) of 11-15 year-olds claim that their sibling told them the PIN.
Figure 15: How 11-17 year-olds gain access to PINs
Source: 11-17s Daytime PINs Survey 2017 Base: 11-17s who know PINs (n=116), 11-15s (60*), 16-17s (56*). *Caution, base size below 100
The vast majority (91%) of 11-15 year-olds with access to PINs claim that their parents are aware that they know the PIN for these locked channels or services.
Parents’ perception of children’s unpermitted use of PINs is low; only 6% of parents of 11-15 year- olds are aware of a PIN having been used to access content without their consent. This gradually
35
increases with the child’s age; a fifth (19%) of parents of 16-17 year-olds are aware that their children have accessed blocked content without their permission.
Of those 11-15 year-olds who know the PIN, eight in ten (81%) claim they have used it to watch restricted channels or services, and more than a quarter do so regularly (27%). One fifth (19%) of 11- 15 year-olds who claim to know the PIN say they do not to use it to watch restricted content.
As a comparison, children claimed less awareness of PINs for non-TV services; a fifth (18%) of 11-15 year-olds are aware of their parents’ PINs for services such as cash point or credit cards, with the older teens (16-17) claiming more awareness (26%) of these PINs.
5.6 Confidence in PINs
Although some concerns were raised in the group discussions about the fallibility of PINs, the majority (85%) of parents of 6-17 year-olds expressed confidence that the current PIN measures in place in their household provide adequate protection for their children – more than half (56%) feel very confident.
Figure 16: Parents’ confidence in PIN protections in place
Source: Adults (16+) Daytime PINs Survey 2017 Base: Total (all responses from parents with children aged 6-17) – accumulated responses across children’s age brackets. All adults who have set PIN Codes at home. Parents of 6-17s (n=503); parents of 6-10s (n=245); parents of 11-15s (n=222); parents of 16-17s (n=36*). *Caution, base size below 50. Treat as indicative only.
In the group discussions, parents of younger children (6-10) tended to have more confidence in PINs. This is reflected in the quantitative data, which show that confidence in PINs is highest among parents of younger children (aged 6-10), 60% of whom say they are very confident in the PIN protections they have in place.
36
5.7 PIN improvements
The discussion of PINs encouraged some parents to suggest ways in which they could be improved. Mandatory PINs were considered safer than voluntary ones because they are in place by default, but they could be improved in several ways. One suggestion (put forward during the qualitative research phase) to help overcome the problem of parents getting stuck, was for an SMS-generated PIN reminder. A similar idea was for an alert to be sent to a parent’s mobile phone when a PIN is entered incorrectly, as seen elsewhere when using online services.
“If someone’s been trying to use the PIN too many times we get a text or an email to alert us that someone’s been trying.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 12-17, London
A more radical suggestion was to replace PINs with fingerprint access, as seen on smartphones, or voice recognition, as used by some telephone banking services.
“I’ll tell you what would be good, a fingerprint, a thumb print like the phones” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 6-11, London
Parents still believe that PINs, or their alternatives, need to fit alongside other protection measures and not just be used as a standalone measure. They argue for an array of measures to be used in conjunction with PINs, including:
• the watershed; • guidance and information provision on individual content; • parental review sites provided on-site; • guidance from other parents / schools; and • parental safety internet firewalls.
37
6. Reaction to the suggestion that post-watershed programmes could be shown during the day if protected by a mandatory PIN
6.1 Introduction
This section starts by examining whether there is an appetite for viewing a wider range7 of post- watershed content during the day, before presenting participants’ reactions to this suggestion and how they thought it might be enhanced. Much of the evidence at this stage is drawn from the qualitative phase of research.
6.2 Key findings
Many people believe that adults should be able to view post-watershed content during the day, using a mandatory PIN. However, personal appetite for such a service is somewhat lower.
Post-watershed content is already being viewed during the day; seven in ten (69%) adults who use on demand services use them to watch post-watershed content during the day/early evening.
Many (although not all) parents in the group discussions believe that post-watershed content should be available to view during the day, so long as mandatory PIN protection is in place. The principle of choice also prevails in the quantitative survey, where the majority (58%) of adults agreed that adults should be able to view post-watershed content during daytime and early evening, if it is behind a mandatory PIN.
However, the level of personal interest in viewing such content during the daytime was much lower, with just a quarter (24%) of adults saying they would be personally interested in being able to view post-watershed content before 9pm on scheduled TV channels. The main reason cited was that they tended not to watch television during the day or early evening, rather than an objection to this type of content being available on scheduled television during the day.
In the discussion groups, the idea of allowing post-watershed content to be shown during the day with mandatory PIN protection elicited a range of responses. Initially, some parents voiced concerns about the potential loss of safety, and the loss of prime-time family content, as well as the allure for children of potentially unsuitable content, and the perceived hassle associated with using a PIN. However, other parents were open to the idea, on the basis that it would improve daytime
7 i.e more than just 15 or 18-rated films shown on subscription film channels during the daytime behind mandatory PIN protection – see footnote 1. 38
TV through allowing a wider range of content to be shown, while PIN protection would mitigate any risk to children. Parents also argued that it might potentially encourage downward pressure on subscription prices through increased competition between broadcasters. Some parents, who were initially concerned by the idea, softened their views as they began to see the potential benefits.
Most parents (79%) believe the use of a mandatory PIN to view post-watershed content during the day would offer the same or greater protection than the watershed.
A large majority (79%) of parents felt that the use of a mandatory PIN to watch post-watershed material during daytime and early evening would provide the same level of protection, or more, as the watershed. Just 29% of all adults believed that the requirement to enter mandatory PINs to access certain channels before the watershed would affect their use of those channels.
6.3 Appetite for post-watershed content during the day
More than two-thirds (69%) of adults who use on-demand services say they have done so to watch post-watershed content during the day or early evening. This is consistent across parents of 6-17 year-olds (68%) and parents with children of different ages.
Figure 17: Adults’ viewing of post-watershed content earlier in the day using catch-up or VoD services (those who use on-demand services)
Source: Adults (16+) Daytime PINs Survey 2017 Base: 2017 All adults whom use catch-up, on demand or subscription VoD services (n=1,443), All parents of 6- 17s (n=538), non-parents of 6-17s (n=905), parents of 6-10s (n=320), parents of 11-15s (n=284), parents of 16- 17s (n=69*) *Caution, base size under 100
Many parents are aware that their children view post-watershed content during the day; almost half (46%) of all parents of 11-15 year-olds who use on-demand services are aware that their child uses 39
these services to watch this content. However, they appear to underestimate the extent of this behaviour; 62% of all 11-17 year-olds and 56% of 11-15s say they use on-demand services to view this content. Clearly, there is much viewing of post-watershed content during daytime by both adults and children on catch-up and on-demand services.
6.4 Reactions to the suggestion that post-watershed programmes might be shown during the day if protected by a mandatory PIN
The considered view of many (although not all) parents during the qualitative research phase was that post-watershed content should be available to view during daytime provided effective protection tools are in place, and in the survey 58% of all adults agreed with this.
Figure 18: Quantitative reactions to post-watershed content being available during the day with a mandatory PIN in place
‘Do you think adults should be able to view programmes on broadcast television channels… that are normally shown after the 9pm watershed… during the daytime or early evening if mandatory PIN protection was introduced to stop children being able to access them?’
Source: Adults (16+) Daytime PINs Survey 2017 Base: All adults (n=2,576), all parents of 6-17s (n=837), non-parents of 6-17s (n=1,739), parents of 6-10s (n=504), parents of 11-15s (n=435), parents of 16-17s (n=104)
Agreement levels are higher among several groups: parents of 11-15s (62%); those who watch post- watershed content during the day using on-demand services (73%); those who have ever used mandatory PINs (75%); and Sky Cinema users (74%). However, personal interest in viewing post- watershed content during the daytime is lower.
40
In the group discussions many parents – particularly mothers – claimed not to have time to watch TV during the day, and explained that it would be more likely that their young children would be watching at that time. While many agreed with the principle of greater viewing choice, the personal interest in accessing content during the daytime was more muted. This is reflected in the quantitative data; only a quarter (24%) of adults said they would be personally interested in being able to view post- watershed content before 9pm on scheduled television using a mandatory PIN. The main reason for the lack of interest is that they tend not to watch television during the day or early evening (45%), while an additional four in ten (40%) adults claim they are not interested in watching this type of content during the day. Just one in eight adults (13%) are not interested because they want to protect children from accessing inappropriate television content during the day. This increases to one in five of parents of children aged 6-17 (22%).
However, among adults who already view post-watershed content earlier in the day using on-demand services, almost half (46%) say they would be likely to view the same types of programmes on a TV channel throughout the day if they were available behind a mandatory PIN.
In the group discussions, the idea of allowing post-watershed content to be available to view during daytime with a mandatory PIN was introduced part-way through, once the participants had discussed their viewing behaviour, including any viewing of post-watershed content during the day. In order to minimise social desirability bias, participants were asked to write down their initial reactions privately before discussing their thoughts openly with others in the group. This elicited a range of reactions to the suggestion: strong initial resistance from some, quiet interest from others, and some enthusiasm.
The suggested change provoked visceral reactions among some participants, who voiced strong initial concerns that obscured any potential benefit. They feared that this would undermine the safety of pre-watershed television by allowing unsuitable content to be scheduled, including the risk of advertising for such content openly appearing in the evening before 9pm. The idea was considered to pose a risk of accidentally exposing children to harmful or embarrassing material, especially when TV plays unmonitored in the background.
“I don’t like that idea at all because I think the 9pm watershed is there for a reason – means you cannot worry about children during the day” Pay TV, parent of children 6- 11, London
“It would be flashing up images and it could be something inappropriate” Pay TV, parent of children 6-11, Belfast
The corollary to this risk is a possible loss of evening content, with prime-time family viewing choice being diluted in favour of daytime schedules. This disruption might be minimal at first, but some parents worried that the pull of post-watershed content could gradually deplete the amount of suitable family content scheduled in the evening.
41
“The problem is if they put it in place of shows that would have been on, then as families we lose those shows.” Pay TV, parent of children 6-11, London
Further, even if protected, the appearance of unsuitable content in the schedule might prove a temptation, especially to older children, for whom parents consider PINs to be less effective. This ‘forbidden fruit’ could provoke family arguments and prove a nuisance to parents.
“A bit of a teaser for the younger ones if they channel hop to one of these and it comes up.” Pay TV, parent of children 12-17, Glasgow
“Not sure about it as teenagers can always work out PIN numbers.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 12-17, Belfast
There was also anxiety about the perception of the proposed changes being imposed without the possibility of an opt-out, which contrasts with other television subscription services (pay TV and SVoD) where parents have a choice.
The dislike of potential restrictions also worked the other way; some parents suggested that the protection afforded by PINs might prevent elderly and technophobic viewers from accessing the content, and in general produce a less smooth viewing experience.
“Not a good idea – difficult, hassle, more pressure on the adults. Restricts access to visitors or other family members… another PIN!!” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 12- 17, London
In addition to these strongly voiced concerns, analysis of the individual written responses showed some reactions of acceptance, which were shared more quietly in the discussions. Some of the perceived disadvantages have a flipside: while some parents feared content risks, others spotted the opportunity for daytime TV to improve, hypothesising that increased advertising revenue from post- watershed content would improve investment in daytime TV.
“Seems exciting that there might be more choice, more channels, for us adults.” Free- to-air TV, parent of children 6-11, Cardiff
“Yes, it is kind of bringing it up to date, isn’t it, with what you can do on things like Netflix or Amazon Prime.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 6-11, Cardiff
These parents welcomed the prospect of greater viewing choice and pointed to specific audiences likely to benefit, notably shift-workers, part-timers and non-workers, as well as older people and those without children. They argued that PIN protection would effectively mitigate the risks to children if parents behaved responsibly.
“It’s a no-brainer really. If we’re given more choice we should accept it. I think it’s a great idea.” Pay TV, parent of children 12-17, Cardiff
42
They also felt that the suggested change would modernise daytime TV by allowing free-to-air TV to respond to the evolving viewing landscape. It could also benefit consumers by encouraging downward pressure on subscription prices through increased competition, or even obviate the need to pay for TV due to improvements in quality and choice available through free-to-air TV.
“An obvious evolution of TV.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 6-11, Cardiff
“If you could do that on Freeview why would you pay for Sky? The biggest draw for Sky and Netflix and Amazon is that it is your TV when you want it.” Free-to-air TV, parents of children 6-11, Cardiff
Some parents questioned whether such benefits would in fact accrue to the industry rather than to consumers.
“Who is it going to benefit? The providers!!!” Free-to-air TV, parents of children 6-11, Glasgow
As the discussions continued and different thoughts were shared and debated, some of the initial resistance diminished. While some more cautious parents remained opposed to the idea, most of the initial opposition dissipated after considered reflection.
“I think we started off with a lot of negatives when we were talking but… everyone talked themselves around.” Pay TV, parent of children 12-17, Glasgow
The reactions discussed above clustered into four types: anxious, wary, ambivalent and accepting. The anxious and wary tended to appear more among free-to-air TV users, mothers and those who were less tech-savvy, whereas the more ambivalent and accepting reactions appeared more among pay-TV users, fathers and those familiar with evolving TV technology.
Anxious response
A minority of parents (mostly mothers) in the discussion groups remained resistant to the suggestion throughout the discussions. Their concerns related to the potential disruption to scheduled daytime programming. They feared that the change represented a slippery slope for safety standards and argued that trailers for unsuitable content might be shown and might tempt children, who would be able to overcome PIN restrictions.
“Temptation is there in front of them” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 12-17, London
“It’s forbidden fruit, isn’t it?” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 12-17, London
“I’m not sure about it because mischievous teenagers can always work out the PIN numbers.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 12-17, Belfast
“[It] would lead to a slippery slope that would mean anything could be shown at any time by any channel... It makes it easier for parents to regulate knowing 43
that watershed stuff is only broadcast after 9 o’clock.” Pay TV, parent of children 6-11, London
Wary response
A significant proportion of parents reluctantly recognised that the landscape of TV is changing, alongside audience expectations and needs. Consequently, they were slightly more open to change, but struggled to see enough direct benefits to justify what they perceived to be the potential erosion of safety standards and loss of less popular suitable daytime TV and children’s programmes.
“It could cause family arguments. Everyone knows of the 9pm watershed and I think most people accept and agree with it. Why change it?” Pay TV, parent of children 6-11, London
“The problem is if they put it in place of shows that would have been on, then as families we lose those shows.” Pay TV, parent of children 6-11, London
Ambivalent response
Many parents felt ambivalent towards the idea. They perceived it as scheduled TV attempting to modernise, albeit still with an inferior offer. Some of these parents were cynical about the motive behind the change, wondering who might gain from the proposed changes, in the absence of obvious benefits to themselves.
“What is Ofcom’s point? Netflix, it is like a fiver a month so having on-demand and the accessibility for 18+ stuff, you get your tablet, you go wherever you want to go. They are ten years too late with this. They gave people the choice to watch post-watershed stuff during the day, we’ve already done it.” Pay TV, parent of children 6-11, Belfast
Accepting response
A minority of parents (usually fathers) quietly welcomed the proposed change, which to them represented an inevitable evolution of TV and increased choice. They considered mandatory PIN protections to be adequate for responsible parents and were not worried about potential safety risks flagged by wary and anxious parents.
“It should have been done ten years ago.” Pay TV, parent of children 6-11, Belfast
“Good idea. With a PIN in place I would feel my kids would be safe.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 6-11, Glasgow
“We might not have to pay for TV any more.” Pay TV, parent of children 12-17, Glasgow
44
“No problem at all with this for me. The key words are mandatory PINs.” Pay TV, parent of children 12-17, Glasgow
“If implemented appropriately, with all bases considered, this would be a great evolution.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 6-11, Cardiff
“That’s competing with on-demand, that’s what it is.” Pay TV, parent of children 6-11, London
The idea of a mandatory PIN partly reassured some participants, but many argued that PINs, as well as other protection tools, are not infallible. This attitude was reflected in the quantitative survey: when asked directly if the use of a mandatory PIN to watch post-watershed content during the day would offer more, less or equal protection to the watershed, a large majority of adults (75%) and parents of 11-15s (77%) felt that the use of a mandatory PIN would offer equal or increased protection for children, compared to the watershed.
“Good idea - with a PIN in place I would feel my kids would be safe.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 6-11, Glasgow
For some parents, the opportunity to consume more content during the daytime underpinned their acceptance. In particular, those who were more familiar with part-time or shift work tended to be more favourable towards the idea.
“If you work part-time like I do there’s not decent TV on, so I want to catch something like Liar in the daytime rather than putting up with TV that’s scheduled.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 12-17, London
When presented with this point of view, some parents who worked full-time also became more open to the idea, due to the benefits it would bring part-time and shift workers in terms of content.
“Why should a nurse or a policeman or an ambulance driver or whatever because they’re working late shift, not get to watch it when it suits them?” Free- to-air TV, parents of children 12-17, Belfast
“Good for people that are working night shifts and they’re not around at that time and they could catch up.” Free-to-air TV, parents of 6-11, Glasgow
45
Figure 20: Adults’ perception of whether mandatory PIN protection would provide more, less or equal protection for children, compared to the watershed.
‘The 9pm watershed provides parents with a way to protect children from watching television content that may be unsuitable for them. Do you think the use of a mandatory PIN to watch post-watershed material during the daytime and early evening would provide more, less, or equal protection for children, compared to the watershed?
Source: Adults (16+) Daytime PINs Survey 2017 Base: All adults (n=2,576), All parents of 6-17s (n=837), non-parents of 6-17s (n=1,739), parents of 6-10s (n=504), parents of 11-15s (n=435), parents of 16-17s (n=104)
Just three in ten adults (29%) thought the introduction of mandatory PINs would be likely to affect their viewing of the programmes of the channels involved, consistent across parents and non-parents.
6.5 Suggestions for improvement
Suggestions were put forward as to what would make the group discussion participants, particularly those in the ‘wary’ segment, feel more comfortable with the idea.
Parents put forward the following suggestions for improvement:
• Protect the ‘safe zone’ • PIN-protect riskier areas • Enhance security measures • Inform and reassure
Protect the ‘safe zone’
Parents, especially those with younger children, were keen to minimise disruption of the EPG, which is considered a ‘safe zone’, and were mindful of the following types of disruption:
46
• Jeopardising the safety of prime-time family viewing, and disruption to the current schedule. • The possible temptation of ‘forbidden fruit’ – PIN-protected content could be a temptation for some children. • Inadvertent trailers and marketing of post-watershed content during the daytime. • Erosion of current prime-time content and daytime content aimed at children.
PIN-protect riskier areas
Parents suggested that to minimise disruption, daytime broadcast of post-watershed content should be confined to a PIN-protected ‘riskier zone’, with PIN access applied to individual channels, or even the whole zone, and not just to individual content. They argued that it is important that the PIN protection is mandatory, to decrease the likelihood of complacency in terms of set-up, among less responsible or technologically savvy parents.
“[I would be] happier if it is a separate channel, not programmes mixed in with the usual channels.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 6-11, Cardiff
“[OK] If it was done on a separate channel which wouldn’t interfere, affect the channels that we already watch, [and] wouldn’t be visible to my kids because I don’t want them to always be asking to watch something that they can’t watch.” Pay TV, parent of children 6-11, London
“Good idea with a PIN in place I would feel my kids would be safe.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 6-11, Glasgow
Enhance security measures
Some parents who were concerned about the infallibility of PINs would feel reassured if enhanced security measures were provided to help maintain safety standards. Systems familiar from SVoD and online banking were put forward as suggestions:
• SMS generated PIN • Fingerprint access • Individual logins • Viewing alerts • Viewing history available • Timed-out access • Parental remote monitoring and control via app
“I wouldn't like it in my house, but wouldn't have a problem if I can opt out.” Free-to-air TV, parent of children 6-11, Cardiff
“What about an alert to your phone if something over 18 is being watched during the day?” Pay TV, parent of children 12-17, Belfast
47
“[Ok if] you could see the [viewing] history as well.” Pay TV, parent of children 6-11, London
Inform and reassure parents
Free-to-air TV households, particularly those without access to SVoD services, are less familiar with using PINs on the TV set, and are generally more concerned about the efficacy of PINs. For these parents, the change represents risk and disruption, so helpful information in these areas would reassure them. However, some remain uncomfortable with the idea, and would prefer to opt out altogether.
“When you describe it like that it sounds like a really good idea because all it is, is an extra channel and it is extra choice and you don’t have to go on it.” Free- to-air, parent of children 6-11, Cardiff
“We were looking at it from our point of view, not the general public in a sense. It was just our personal view” Pay TV, parent of children 12-17, Cardiff
In conclusion, there was a marked increase in interest in adults being able to watch post-watershed content during the day with a mandatory PIN in place, once parents had expressed their ideas for improving safety. It is important to parents that the ‘safe zone’ of daytime scheduled TV and the EPG is protected, especially for those with younger children. Maintaining safety standards, and minimising disruption to the current status quo, would prove reassuring to these parents with misgivings.
48
Appendices
Appendix A: Quantitative technical report
1. Overview of approach Ofcom commissioned Kantar Media to research consumers’ use of and attitudes towards mandatory and voluntary PIN (personal identification number) protection systems. Specifically, Ofcom required research among parents of children aged 6 to 17 and young people aged 11 to 17, to understand existing user confidence in PINs and the level of demand for the introduction of daytime mandatory PINs.
To best meet the study’s objectives, Kantar Media developed a mixed-method approach including a face-to-face omnibus survey of adults and an online survey of young people. This document outlines the technical approach underpinning each survey, including details of the sampling, quotas, and weighting used.
A summary of the approach is provided below, followed by more detailed technical information for each survey in the subsequent sections.
Figure 1: Summary of mixed-method approach
49
2. Adults (16+) survey The adults (16+) survey was conducted using Kantar’s nationally representative UK face-to-face omnibus. The survey was administered in-home using computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI).
The survey needed to deliver robust samples of parents of school-age children (those aged 6 to 17) and non-parents of school-age children. Surveying these groups allowed comparisons to be made between the views of parents and non-parents, while also providing results at a total UK level.
Within the ‘parents’ sample, robust base sizes were required for the key sub-groups of parents of children aged 6 to 10, 11 to 15, and 16 to 17. For the purposes of the research, the ‘parents’ sample comprised parents or guardians with 6 to 17s currently living at home. The ‘non-parents’ sample included those with pre-school children only (aged 0-5), those with adult children only (17+) and those without any children or without any children living in their households.
To generate robust sample sizes for the key sub-groups, fieldwork was conducted across two waves of Kantar’s face-to-face omnibus. Each omnibus wave interviews just over 2,000 respondents, with quotas set and data weighted to ensure a nationally representative sample of UK adults. The first wave was conducted of the entire 2,000 sample, and the second wave was conducted just with parents of 6-17 year-olds.
Fieldwork for the two omnibus waves was conducted from Wednesday 11th October 2017 to Tuesday 17th October 2017. Robust sample sizes were collected from England (2,163 respondents), Scotland (215), Wales (125) and Northern Ireland (73).
Combining the ‘parents’ and ‘non-parents’ interviews, the survey provided an overall sample of 2,576 completed interviews. The ‘parents’ sample (837 interviews) included 504 interviews with parents of 6 to 10s, 435 with parents of 11 to 15s, and 104 with parents of 16 to 17s.
To ensure that the final sample was nationally representative, a two-stage weighting process was employed:
1. First, data were weighted to the standard omnibus cell-weighting targets to ensure that the sample was nationally representative in terms of key demographics such as age, gender, socio- economic status, working status, nation, and region. A 72-cell weighting matrix based on National Readership Survey (NRS) data was employed. 2. Secondly, the data were subsequently rim weighted to correct for the over-sampling (or ‘boosting’) of parents versus the actual incidence levels within the UK population. From the nationally representative screening sample, the actual incidence of parents or guardians of 6 to 17s (living in respondents’ households) was estimated at 21%. This compared with parents of 6 to 17s comprising 837 (32%) of the total research sample of 2,576. As a result, the parents sample was 50
down-weighted to the actual population level of 21% to allow comparisons to be made between parents and non-parents, and UK total figures. The rim-weighting process meant that sub-group comparisons could still be made based on the robust samples achieved, while the over-sampling of parents did not skew results at an overall level.
3. Young people (11 to 17) survey A survey of 553 young people aged 11 to 17 was conducted online using Kantar’s Lightspeed GMI research panel. The panel comprises hundreds of thousands of members aged 16+, with rigorous controls in place to ensure high-quality data capture. Surveys were served using computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI), and were available to complete on desktops and laptops, and a range of mobile devices.
Children aged 11 to 15 were recruited to take part in the survey via parents or guardians who were panel members, with 16 to 17s comprising a mix of panellists and children of panellists. The survey was broadly split into two parts: a recruitment questionnaire served to panellists, and the main questionnaire completed by 11 to 17s. The recruitment questionnaire captured the ages of panellists’ children alongside other demographics, explained the purpose of the research, and allowed them to consent to their children’s participation. 11 to 17s were then invited to take part in the survey, either at the point of recruitment or later, at their convenience. If 16 to 17s were existing panellists, they were simply invited to complete the demographics and main survey questions as per the usual panel processes.
Fieldwork was conducted from 12 October 2017 to 23 October 2017. Robust sample sizes were collected from England (398 respondents), Scotland (53), Wales (52) and Northern Ireland (50).
The survey included several questions similar to the adults (16+) survey, to enable comparisons to be made between parents’ perceptions of children’s behaviours and young people’s actual claimed behaviours. However, where appropriate, the question wording in the young people’s survey was adjusted and simplified to aid comprehension.
Quotas were set to ensure that the achieved sample closely mirrored the UK population. In particular, quotas were set on age, gender, socio-economic group and nation. To facilitate robust sub-group comparisons, quota targets were set on young people aged 11 to 13 (185 completed interviews), 14 to 15 (167), and 16 to 17 (201). With socio-economic group determined at a household level, this was gauged according to panellists’ responses (i.e. the responses of parents or panellists’ aged 16 to 17).
To ensure that the final sample was nationally representative, the data were weighted on gender, age, socio-economic group and nation using mid-2016 population estimates from the Office for National Statistics, as well as TGI data (January 2016-December 2016).
51
Appendix B: Young people (11-17) questionnaire
MC Q1. Which of the following premium channels a) do you have at home and b) do you ever watch? a. Have at home b. Ever watch c. Don’t know d. Don’t have at (EXCLUSIVE) home/ Don’t ever watch 1. Sky 1 2 3 4 Cinema 2. Sky 1 2 3 4 Sports 3. Virgin 1 2 3 4 Movies
MC Q2. Which, if any, of these types of ‘on-demand’ or ‘catch-up’ services do you watch at home nowadays on a TV set or any other device that may be used to view content online? Please select all that apply 1. TV programmes/ films that require a monthly or yearly subscription to watch, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, NOW TV or Hayu or TalkTalk TV 2. TV programmes/ films using catch up services (e.g. BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4 (formerly 4OD), My5 (formerly Demand 5), YouView, Sky on Demand or Sky Go, Virgin Anytime) 3. None of these EXCLUSIVE 4. Don’t know EXCLUSIVE
MC – RANDOMISE CODES 1-13 Q3. And which of the following services or apps do you ever use to watch TV programmes and films at home nowadays on a TV set or any other device? Please select all that apply.
1. BBC iPlayer 2. ITV Hub (formerly ITV Player) 3. All 4 (formerly 4oD) 4. Sky On Demand or Sky Go 5. NOW TV 6. My 5 (formerly Demand 5) 7. Virgin TV On Demand/ Virgin TV Anywhere 8. iTunes 9. YouTube 10. Amazon Prime Video 11. Netflix 12. TalkTalk TV Store 13. Hayu 14. Other streaming website (please specify) 15. Don’t know EXCLUSIVE
52
MC Q4. Which of the following devices do you ever use to watch TV programmes or films at the time of broadcast?
By ‘at the time of broadcast’, we mean as they are shown on TV at the scheduled time (i.e. as listed in the TV Guide) rather than watching later through a catch-up or on- demand service.
1. TV set 2. Smart TV set 3. Games console connected to your TV set 4. Set-top box connected to your TV set (e.g. from Sky, Virgin, YouView) 5. Desktop computer 6. Laptop or netbook 7. Tablet computer (such as an iPad) 8. Smartphone 9. None of these EXCLUSIVE 10. Don’t know EXCLUSIVE
MC Q5. And which of the following devices do you ever use to watch TV programmes or films using catch-up or on-demand services?
1. TV set 2. Smart TV set 3. Games console connected to your TV set 4. Set-top box connected to your TV set (e.g. from Sky, Virgin, YouView) 5. Desktop computer 6. Laptop or netbook 7. Tablet computer (such as an iPad) 8. Smartphone 9. None of these EXCLUSIVE 10. Don’t know EXCLUSIVE
SC Q6. Do you ever watch TV programmes or films in your house that are broadcast on a TV channel after 9pm?
1. Yes 2. No 3. Don’t know
ASK IF CODE 1 AT Q6 MC Q7. And when you watch programmes or films in your house that are broadcast on a TV channel after 9pm, do you ever watch them...? Please select all that apply.
1. Alone 2. With other under 18s
53
3. With adults (aged 18+) 4. Don’t know EXCLUSIVE
ASK ALL SC Q8a. Do you ever watch programmes, which were originally broadcast after 9pm at a time before that (e.g. during the daytime or early evening), on a video-on-demand (VoD) or catch-up service (e.g. BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub), either on a television or other device that may be used to view content online?
1. Yes 2. No 3. Don’t know
ASK IF CODE 1 AT Q8a SC Q8b. Was user age verification required (e.g. you had to tick a box to say that you were over 16 or 18)?
1. Yes 2. No 3. Don’t know
ASK IF CODE 1 AT Q8a MC Q8c. And when you watch programmes, that were originally broadcast after 9pm before that (e.g. during the daytime or early evening), on a video-on-demand or catch- up service, do you ever watch them...? Please select all that apply.
1. Alone 2. With other under 18s 3. With adults (aged 18+) 4. Don’t know EXCLUSIVE
SC Q9. Did you know that on some TV channels have a PIN number that can be set to block you from watching them?
1. Yes 2. No 3. Don’t know
SHOW SCREEN FOLLOWING Q9:
There are a range of options that parents can use on their television set or set-top box to help protect their children from accessing unsuitable content. These include PIN numbers:
54
Personal identification numbers, or PINs for short, are provided to help ensure that children are protected from programmes or films which may be unsuitable for them. They are typically 4 digit access codes that need to be used in order to watch certain programmes or access certain channels or services.
Voluntary PINs can be set to stop children watching unsuitable programmes, such as those containing adult themes or violence. Parents and carers have a choice whether to set them or not. When a PIN has been set, people who want to watch the restricted content must enter the PIN number in order to access it. These are sometimes known as parental locks or parental controls.
Mandatory/Compulsory PINs are always in place to restrict access to unsuitable programmes. They cannot be removed by the user. A PIN number must be entered each time someone wants to watch the programme, film or service. The PIN number must be chosen by the account holder and allows only those authorised to view the content.
MC Q10. Which of the following specific features a) do you know about and b) have ever been used in your house? ROWS:
1. A voluntary PIN set to restrict access to certain programmes or channels 2. A voluntary PIN set to prevent broadcast programmes recorded after 9pm from being watched before that time (e.g. Sky+ and Virgin TiVo) 3. A voluntary PIN set up to restrict access to a catch-up service through a television set (e.g. BBC iPlayer, All 4) 4. A mandatory/compulsory PIN number required to access scheduled 15 or 18- rated films through either a premium subscription film service (e.g. films watched according to a schedule, like Sky Movies through a Sky set-top box, but not at a time entirely of your choosing, like Sky Go or NOW TV) or a pay- per-view service (e.g. films watched at a time of your choosing, like Sky Box Office) 5. User age verification required to view content through a catch-up service (e.g. BBC iPlayer asking you to confirm if you are over 16 or 18) 6. Other
COLUMNS:
1. a) Know about 2. b) Ever used IF COLUMN B IS SELECTED, COLUMN A HAS TO BE SELECTED FOR THE SAME ROW 3. c) Don’t know EXCLUSIVE 4. d) None of these EXCLUSIVE
ASK IF CODE 6 ‘OTHER’ FOR OPTION 2b EVER USED OPEN ENDED QUESTION Q10a. You said your household has used another type of PIN/protection feature on your television set or set-top box. Could you please tell us what this is? 55
SC Q11. Has anyone at your home currently set a PIN number on any TV channels or services?
1. Yes 2. No 3. Don’t know
ASK IF YES AT Q11 SC Q12. Who set the PIN code?
1. Parent/ guardian/ carer 2. I did 3. Brother or sister 4. Other relative 5. Nanny/ au pair 6. Other (please specify) 7. Don’t know
ASK IF YES AT Q11 SC Q13. Do you know the PIN number for these channels or services?
1. Yes 2. No 3. Don’t know
ASK IF YES AT Q13 MC Q14. How did you get the PIN number?
1. My parents asked me to set it up/ input in the first place 2. My parents gave it to me 3. Brother or sister told me 4. I saw my parents/ someone else enter it and have remembered it 5. It’s the same as their other PIN numbers 6. I guessed it 7. Other (please specify)
ASK IF YES AT Q13 SC Q15. Just to clarify, are your parents/ guardians/ the person responsible for the PIN aware that you know the PIN number for these locked channels or services?
1. Yes 2. No
56
3. Don’t know
ASK IF YES AT Q13 SC Q16. Do you ever use the PIN number so you can watch these channels or services?
1. Yes, regularly (about once a week or more) 2. Yes, occasionally (about once every month or so) 3. Yes, but not very often (about every few months or less) 4. No, never 5. Don’t know
ASK ALL SC Q17. Do you know the PIN number(s) of your parent(s)/ guardian(s) for other things like their cash point card or credit card?
1. Yes 2. No 3. Don’t know
ASK IF CODE 1 AT Q17 MC Q18. How did you get the PIN number(s) for these other things?
1. My parents gave it to me 2. My parents asked me to set it up/ input in the first place 3. Brother or sister told me 4. I saw my parents/ someone else enter it and have remembered it 5. I saw it on the letter/ bill from the cable/ satellite company 6. It’s the same as their other PIN numbers 7. I guessed it 8. Other (Please specify)
57
Appendix C: Adults (16+) questionnaire
MC
QK. Which, if any, of these types of television service does your household receive at the moment? Please think about all of the TV sets in your household.
RANDOMISE
1. Sky - Digital satellite TV for a monthly subscription 2. Satellite TV from someone other than Sky 3. FreeSat - Digital satellite TV WITHOUT a monthly subscription 4. Virgin Media through cable 5. Freeview through a TV aerial and set-top box 6. TV set which has Freeview channels built in (without a separate set-top box) 7. YouView set-top box 8. BT TV 9. TalkTalk TV 10. Other 12. No TV in household 13. Don’t know
ASK IF USE VIRGIN MEDIA (CODE 1) AT Q1
SC
Q1a. Do you have Virgin Movies as part of your Virgin Media subscription package?
1. Yes 2. No 3. Don’t know
ASK IF USE SKY SATELLITE TV (CODE 2) AT Q1
SC
Q1b. Do you have Sky Cinema as part of your Sky subscription package?
1. Yes 2. No 3. Don’t know
MC
Q2. Do you ever watch any of these types of ‘on-demand’ or ‘catch-up’ services at home on a TV set or any other device that may be used to view content online?
1. Yes, TV programmes/ films using a ‘standalone’ subscription service such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, NOW TV or Hayu 58
2. Yes, TV programmes/films using catch-up services (e.g. BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4 (formerly 4OD), My 5 (formerly Demand 5), Youview, Sky On Demand or Sky Go, Virgin Anytime 3. No SINGLE CODE 4. Don’t know SINGLE CODE
READ:
Programmes that are not suitable for children may be shown on TV channels after 9pm - usually known as the 9 o'clock watershed.
However, many TV programmes originally shown after the 9pm watershed ‘at the time of broadcast’ (i.e. as listed in the TV guide or electronic programme guide) are also made available to watch at any time you like via on-demand and catch-up services.
ASK IF USE VoD OR CATCH-UP SERVICE [CODE 1/2] AT Q2
SC
Q3. Do you ever watch programmes, which were originally shown on a television channel after the 9pm watershed, during the daytime or early evening on a video-on- demand (VoD) or catch-up service (e.g. BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub) on a television or any type of device that may be used to view content online?
4. Yes 5. No 6. Don’t know
PARENTS
ASK IF HAVE CHILDREN AGED 6-17 AT QCHILD [CODES 2,3,4]; REPEAT FOR EACH AGE BAND ROUTED
MC
Q4. Does your child/ children aged <6-10/ 11-15/ 16-17> ever watch any of these types of ‘on-demand’ or ‘catch-up’ services on a television or any type of device that may be used to view content online?
1. Yes, child/ children aged <6-10/ 11-15/ 16-17> watches TV programmes/ films using a ‘standalone’ subscription service such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, NOW TV or Hayu 2. Yes, child/ children aged <6-10/ 11-15/ 16-17> watches TV programmes/ films using catch-up services (e.g. BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4 (formerly 4OD), My 5 (formerly Demand 5), YouView, Sky on Demand or Sky Go, Virgin Anytime) 3. No SINGLE CODE 4. Don’t know SINGLE CODE
59
ASK IF CHILD/ CHILDREN WATCH VoD OR CATCH-UP SERVICE AT Q4 [CODE 1/2]; REPEAT FOR EACH AGE BAND IF CODE 2
SC
Q5. Does your child/ children aged <6-10/ 11-15/ 16-17> ever watch programmes, which were originally shown on a television channel after the 9pm watershed, during the daytime or early evening on a video-on-demand (VoD) or catch-up service (e.g. BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub) on a television or any type of device that may be used to view content online?
IF NECESSARY READ: By originally shown after the 9pm watershed we mean when it was originally shown at the time of broadcast’ i.e. as listed in the TV guide or electronic programme guide.
1. Yes 2. No 3. Don’t know
ASK IF YES (CODE 1) AT Q3
SC
Q5a. When watching programmes, which were originally shown on a television channel after the 9pm watershed, on video-on-demand or catch-up services during the daytime or early evening, have you noticed any information or guidance notes about the nature of the content before you view it?
IF NECESSARY READ: By originally shown after the 9pm watershed we mean when it was originally shown at the time of broadcast’ i.e. as listed in the TV guide or electronic programme guide.
1. Yes
2. No
3. Don’t know
IF YES (CODE 1) AT Q5a
60
MC
Q5b. Which ones have you noticed?
1. Guidance notes about programmes containing sexual images 2. Guidance notes about programmes containing scenes of violence 3. Guidance notes about programmes containing strong language 4. Guidance notes about programmes containing nudity 5. Guidance notes about programmes containing general adult themes 6. Other [WRITE IN]
GRID: ASK FOR ALL CODES SELECTED AT Q5b
Q5c. How would you gauge the usefulness of these in helping you to decide whether the content is appropriate to view in your household?
COLUMNS
1. Very useful 2. Quite useful 3. Neither useful or not useful 4. Not very useful 5. Not at all useful 6. Don’t know ROWS
Codes selected at Q5b.
Awareness of PINS1
ALL ADULTS
READ:
There are a range of technical tools and measures that parents can use on their television set or set-top box to help protect their children from accessing unsuitable content.
These include PIN protections
PINs (read personal identification number if necessary) are a tool provided by broadcasters or TV service providers to help ensure that children are protected from broadcast content that is unsuitable for them. They are typically 4 digit access codes that need to be used in order to watch certain programmes or access certain channels or services.
Voluntary PINs can be set by users to restrict children’s access to unsuitable content, such as programmes with adult themes, sexual or violent content. Users have a choice whether to set them or not. When a PIN has been set, people who want to watch the
61
restricted content must enter the PIN number in order to access it. These are sometimes known as parental locks or parental controls.
Mandatory PINs are always in place to restrict access to unsuitable content. They cannot be removed by the user. A PIN number must be entered each time someone wants to watch the programme, film or service. The PIN number must be chosen by the account holder and allows only those authorised to view the content.
MC
Q6. Which of the following specific features a) are you aware of and b) have you ever used?
7. A voluntary PIN set to restrict certain programmes or channels 8. A voluntary PIN set to prevent broadcast programmes recorded after 9pm from being watched before that time (e.g. Sky+ and Virgin TiVo) 9. User age verification required to view content through a catch-up service (e.g. BBC iPlayer asking you to confirm if you are over 16 or 18) 10. A voluntary PIN set up to restrict access to a catch-up service through a television set (e.g. BBC iPlayer, All 4). 11. A mandatory PIN number required to access scheduled 15 or 18-rated films through a premium subscription film service (e.g. films watched according to a schedule, like Sky Cinema or Virgin Movies) 12. A mandatory PIN number required to access adult sex material on either a premium subscription or pay-per-view service 13. Other (WRITE IN) 14. Don’t know SINGLE CODE
PARENTS ONLY
ASK IF HAVE CHILDREN AGED 6-17 AT QCHILD [CODES 2,3,4]
SC
Q7. Have you or any member of your household currently set any voluntary PINs to restrict your child’s/ children’s access to certain channels or programmes?
1. Yes 2. No 3. Don’t know
ASK IF NO [CODE 2] AT Q7
MC
Q8. And can you tell me why that is? Please select all that apply.
62
RANDOMISE
1. Didn’t know this was possible 2. Don’t know how to do this 3. Too complicated/ time consuming to install/ administer 4. Trust my child/ children to be sensible/ responsible 5. Child too old for setting these controls 6. Wouldn’t work/ they’d find a way around any controls 7. Child/ children is always supervised/ always an adult present 8. Child/ children is too young for this to be a problem 9. Would interfere with viewing of siblings/ other family members 10. It’s not possible to set controls on my TV service 11. Other (WRITE IN)
Knowledge and use of PINS
ASK IF YES [CODE 1] AT Q7 AND IF HAVE CHILDREN AGED 6-17 AT QCHILD [CODES 2,3,4]; REPEAT FOR EACH AGE BAND ROUTED
SC
Q9. Thinking about the PINs that have been set on your television or set-top box and your child/ children aged <6-10/ 11-15/ 16-17>, which of the below best describes their knowledge of the PIN code?
1. I am aware that my child/children aged <6-10/ 11-15/ 16-17> knows the PIN as it was given with my permission 2. I am aware that my child/children aged <6-10/ 11-15/ 16-17> knows the PIN although I didn’t give it to them 3. I am not sure if my child/children aged <6-10/ 11-15/ 16-17> knows the PIN number 4. I am certain that my child/children aged <6-10/ 11-15/ 16-17> does not know the PIN number 5. Don’t know
ASK IF YES [CODE 1] AT Q7 AND IF HAVE CHILDREN AGED 6-17 AT QCHILD [CODES 2,3,4]; REPEAT FOR EACH AGE BAND ROUTED
Q10. To your knowledge, has your child/ children aged <6-10/ 11-15/ 16-17> ever used your PIN number to access blocked content without your permission?
1. Yes 2. No 3. Don’t know
Attitudes and preferences
ASK IF YES [CODE 1] AT Q7 AND IF HAVE CHILDREN AGED 6-17 AT QCHILD [CODES 2,3,4]; REPEAT FOR EACH AGE BAND ROUTED 63
SC
Q11. How confident or not confident are you that the PIN protections currently in place on your television set or set-top box adequately provide protected viewing for your child/ children aged <6-10/ 11-15/ 16-17>?
1. Very confident 2. Quite confident 3. Neither confident nor not confident 4. Not very confident 5. Not at all confident 6. Don’t know
ALL ADULTS
Desirability of daytime PIN protection and response to potential changes
READ:
Currently, rules for TV broadcasters state that up to 15-rated films can be broadcast behind a mandatory PIN during the day (between 5.30am and 8pm) on a premium subscription film service, such as Sky Cinema.
All other programmes aired on broadcast television channels (e.g. BBC One, ITV, C4, Sky 1) which contain strong language or images unsuitable for children (e.g. a programme containing nudity, sexual images, adult themes or scenes of violence) cannot be shown until after the 9pm watershed.
In the next few questions we would like to hear your views on the possibility that these current rules could be broadened. This would mean programmes that would usually have to be shown after the 9pm watershed could be shown during the daytime or early evening on broadcast television channels (e.g. BBC One, ITV, C4, Sky 1), as long as a mandatory PIN was in place to restrict access to children.
SC
Q12. Do you think adults should be able to view programmes on broadcast television channels (e.g. BBC One, ITV, C4, Sky 1) that are normally shown after the 9pm watershed (e.g. a programme containing stronger language, nudity, sexual imagery, adult themes or scenes of violence) during the daytime or early evening if mandatory PIN protection was introduced to stop children being able to access them?
64
IF NECESSARY READ: Remember, a mandatory PIN is one that cannot be removed and has to be set by the TV service account holder.
1. Yes 2. No 3. Don’t know ASK IF YES (CODE 1) AT Q12
MC
Q13. What type(s) of programmes do you think TV channels should be able to broadcast using a mandatory PIN during the daytime and early evening?
RANDOMISE
1. Programmes or films depicting violence 2. Programmes containing sexual imagery 3. Programmes or films containing strong language 4. Programmes or films depicting horror 5. Programmes or films containing adult themes 6. Adult comedy 7. Other [WRITE IN] 8. Don’t know SINGLE CODE 9. None of these SINGLE CODE
SC
Q14. How interested or not interested are you personally in being able to watch something usually scheduled after 9pm during the daytime or early evening if it was available on a broadcast TV channel behind a mandatory PIN?
1. Very interested 2. Quite interested 3. Neither interested nor not interested 4. Not very interested 5. Not at all interested 6. Don’t know
IF NOT INTERESTED (4 OR 5 AT Q14) ASK
MC
65
Q14b. And why are you not interested in being able to watch something usually scheduled after 9pm during the daytime or early evening if it was available on a broadcast TV channel behind a mandatory PIN?
1. I don’t watch television during the day/early evening 2. I am not interested in watching this type of content during the day/early evening 3. I want to protect children from accessing inappropriate television content during the day 4. I use video-on-demand or catch-up services to watch TV shows I can’t view at the time of broadcast 5. Not sure SINGLE CODE 6. Other [WRITE IN]
IF INTERESTED (1 OR 2 AT Q14) ASK
Q14c. And what genres would you be interested in watching?
1. Drama 2. Entertainment 3. Comedy 4. Documentaries 5. Reality TV shows 6. Game shows 7. Film 8. Other (WRITE IN)
ASK IF YES (CODE 1) AT Q3
SC
Q15. Currently, programmes normally shown after 9pm are available on video-on- demand (VoD) or catch-up services at any time of the day. How likely would you be to view the same types of programmes on a TV channel if they were available throughout the day behind a mandatory PIN protection?
1. Very likely 2. Quite likely 3. Neither likely nor not likely 4. Not very likely 5. Not at all likely 6. Don’t know
IF NOT LIKELY (4 OR 5 AT NQ15) ASK
66
Q15b. And why would you not view post-watershed programmes normally shown on video-on-demand (VoD) or catch-up services at any time of the day if they were available throughout the day behind a mandatory PIN protection?
1. I don’t watch television during the day/early evening 2. I prefer to use video-on-demand / catch up services for this content 3. I prefer to use a device other than a television to view these programmes 4. I am not interested in watching this type of content during the day/early evening 5. I want to protect children from accessing inappropriate television content during the day 6. Not sure 7. Other
READ: The 9pm watershed is a useful tool to protect children from watching unsuitable content on television. Ofcom is committed to this policy and is not seeking to remove the traditional watershed.
In the next few questions we would like to gauge your opinion on the effectiveness of the watershed compared to PIN protection tools, and the likely impact of additional protection on your viewing behaviour
ASK ALL
SC
Q16. The 9pm watershed provides parents with a way to protect children from watching television content that may be unsuitable for them. Do you think the use of a mandatory PIN to watch post-watershed material during the daytime and early evening would provide more, less, or equal protection for children, compared to the watershed?
1. Much more protection 2. A little more protection 3. Equal protection 4. A little less protection 5. A lot less protection 6. Don’t know
SC
Q17. If you had to enter a mandatory PIN number each and every time certain channels were selected during the daytime or early evening (e.g. when you flick from one channel to another), how likely would this affect whether you wanted to view programmes on those channels?
67
1. Very likely 2. Quite likely 3. Neither likely nor not likely 4. Not very likely 5. Not at all likely 6. Don’t know
SC
Q18. Which of the following best describes your use of mandatory or voluntary PINs on more than one TV, film or on-demand service?
1. I use the same PIN for all my services 2. I use different PINs for different services 3. I don’t use mandatory or voluntary PINs on more than one service 4. Don’t know
68
Appendix D: Qualitative sample design
Two group discussions within each of the four nations of the UK
AGE OF CHILD/ GROUP LOCATION LINEAR TV STATUS ELDEST SEG 1 London Pay TV Younger (6-11) ABC1 2 London Free-to-air TV Older (12-17) C2D 3 Belfast Pay TV Younger (6-11) C2D 4 Belfast Free-to-air TV Older (12-17) BC1 5 Glasgow Free-to-air TV Younger (6-11) C2D 6 Glasgow Pay TV Older (12-17) BC1 7 Cardiff Free-to-air TV Younger (6-11) BC1 8 Cardiff Pay TV Older (12-17) DE
Definitions and additional criteria • All parents/guardians, including single parents, and mix of men and women • BAME representative of each location • Free-to-air TV: Freeview and/or FreeSat homes, and allowed some churn from a TV subscription • Pay TV: homes with any of Sky, Virgin Media, BT TV, TalkTalk TV • Some with SVoD (Netflix, Amazon Prime, NOW TV) • Spread of type of content, genres, channels/brands viewed • Spread of mode of viewing: linear, on-demand and catch-up, PVR • Spread of device use: TV, computer/laptop, tablet/smart device • Spread of low to high levels of confidence with technology • Mix of people aware/unaware of PIN access • 1-2 shift workers per session • Mix of urban, suburban and rural residents
Cognitive testing interviews • The main fieldwork was preceded by 10 cognitive testing interviews to help develop the stimulus • The sample mirrored the main qualitative fieldwork • All were conducted either at Kantar offices or in-home • Each lasted 20-30 mins • All participants were paid an incentive
Logistics • All respondents completed a short diary exercise in advance of the session • Groups were conducted in mix of homes, hotels and viewing studio with clients in attendance
69
• Each of the groups included 8-9 respondents • All groups were audio recorded (and video recorded in London) • Video clips obtained from volunteers towards the end of the groups • Free-find recruitment and all were given a monetary incentive • Fieldwork conducted 5-11 October 2017
70
Appendix E: Qualitative group discussion guide
Research about family TV viewing
Aim: to assess whether it is appropriate to allow broadcasters to show a wider variety of content that is more suitable to adults before the watershed, provided a mandatory PIN protection system is in place
Objectives • Attitudes of parents towards their children accessing post-watershed content • Perceptions of the effectiveness of tools in ensuring children are protected from unsuitable content • Explore use of PINs and perceptions of children’s use of PINs • Desirability of accessing a wider range of content during the daytime if adequate protections are in place • Attitudes towards potential effects on the user experience (i.e. having to enter PINs when changing channels)
• Check pre-task has been brought • While waiting, everyone to do simple self-completion questionnaire to capture main criteria about TV service and behaviour (5 mins)
1. INTRODUCTION (5 mins) • Welcome to group – introduce Kantar Media, researcher • Briefly introduce any observers/viewing • Today’s discussion will be about how families watch TV nowadays • Opinions, no right/wrong, be open and honest • Recording, confidentiality, talk one at a time • Capture a few comments on camera to help reporting • Disclose client at the end (will become obvious) • 1½h • Any questions?
• Respondent paired introductions – name, family, occupation • What TV services have and use at home – non/pay TV platform (Freeview, Sky, Virgin etc), any on-demand services (Netflix, Amazon Prime etc), screens/devices
2. WARM-UP ABOUT TV VIEWING (15 mins) Use the initial discussion as a warm-up and establish a group dynamic
• Let’s start by discussing what you’ve been watching on TV over the past few days – favourite programmes, when watch, with whom, where/device used o Probe scheduled/live vs recorded/catch-up/on-demand – why o Check on viewing with/without children • What do you do if you miss something you wanted to watch (get them thinking about on- demand/catch-up) • TIMELINES EXERCISE: think back 5 years – how did you watch TV back then, what has changed
71
Pay TV (Sky/Virgin): • What do you like about your service, what are the features you use • How do your children use the service – note any concerns
Free-to-air TV (Freeview/Freesat): • What do you like about your service, what are the features you use • How do your children use the service – note any concerns
Catch-up/On-demand (iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4 etc): • What do you like about your service, what are the features you use • How do your children use the service – note any concerns
SVoD (Netflix, Amazon Prime, NOW TV, etc): • Why do you have this service, what do you like about it, what are the features you use, how does it compare with your (pay/free-to-air) TV service • How do your children use the service – note any concerns
3. CHILDREN’S VIEWING (10 mins) Explore what TV children watch and how parents manage their children’s viewing • Explore children’s viewing o Typically, what they watch, when, with whom, how (devices, whether supervised) o What do you allow your children to watch, how do you manage that, strategies o What are your concerns as a parent o How does this vary by age of child, by age of siblings • Explore measures parents use to protect their children o Trust, supervision, access to devices, any tools (do not prompt for parental locks, PINs) o How does this vary – age of child/siblings, time of day, device/service used o Note any mention of watershed – spontaneous, then explore • What other measures are available, of what if anything are they aware o Note any mention of PINs – spontaneous, then explore o Explore parents’ use of PINs o Explore children’s use of PINs – what they do, what’s permitted
4. EXPLAIN HOW WE WATCH TV – BRIEFING (20 mins) Take respondents through the presentation, answer any questions and ensure everyone understands
Key points: • Broadcasting Code protects children on scheduled TV • Watershed is a core tool – no unsuitable content pre-watershed • Also protection with PINs etc • Scheduled premium subscription services allow broadcast of films (BBFC rated <15) at any time with mandatory PIN • On-demand has lighter touch – Broadcasting Code doesn’t apply – but there are voluntary measures
72
• Present and read through the briefing – HOW WE WATCH TV TODAY (but pause before presenting the proposal – to be covered in next section) o Check everyone understands as go through the briefing o Test comprehension…
Q: What are the different ways we can watch TV nowadays? A: Scheduled vs on-demand; also across different devices
Q: How are children protected on scheduled TV? A: Watershed, PINs, etc
Q: How are children protected with on-demand? A: Control tools such as PINs
Q: What’s the exception to the watershed on scheduled TV? A: Premium subscription film services – with mandatory PIN (e.g. Sky Cinema channels)
• If not already covered, explore awareness of and reactions to watershed • If not already covered, explore awareness of and use of PINs o How feel about mandatory vs voluntary PINs o Why use/don’t use o In what situations are PINs more suitable – age of children, type of content/genre o How effective are they o What if any drawbacks are there – have you ever forgotten your PIN, do your children get around PINs o Note any difference by provider
5. EXPLORE PROPOSAL (20 mins) Explore the proposal in detail – and note that we are not exploring the rules for on-demand so changes there are out of scope
• Proposal: current post-watershed content could be broadcast during the daytime with a mandatory PIN in place to restrict children accessing this material
• HAND OUT PAPER/PENS for individual reactions to the proposal • Present the proposal and capture individual reactions
Open up to the group • Reactions – and check comprehension • If necessary, use MOOD BOARD to explore how they feel o How they feel about the proposal as adults, as parents • Explore benefits, concerns – capture on FLIPCHART o Probe for different genres/types of content and channels – use STIMULUS OF PROGRAMMES o Probe for different times during the day – morning, afternoon, early evening, weekend daytime o Probe for age of child/siblings
73
• How do you feel about allowing a wider variety of content (currently only available post- watershed) to be available on scheduled TV during the daytime when there’s a wide variety available on demand o If don’t want more similar approach why not, what’s the difference o What would make it more acceptable for scheduled TV, what protections should be in place • If proposal considered unnecessary because of catch-up/on-demand, probe for content that can only be show on scheduled TV (licence conditions) • How would you feel about having to enter a PIN each time to access post-watershed content during the daytime on TV channels (e.g. when changing channels in ad breaks) o Would it be a nuisance or not bothered
6. SUMMING UP (15 mins) Capture considered thoughts and bring discussion to a close
• YOU’RE IN CHARGE TASK – split into two teams • Imagine you’re in charge of the rules for scheduled TV and you need to allow lots of variety to suit different tastes but also need to ensure the protection of children – develop your rules o Present back to the group o What are the key points
• Sum up o Who would be most interested in the proposal, why o Who would be most worried proposal, why
• Capture some COMMENTS ON CAMERA (for internal Ofcom use only) o What do you think of the proposal to allow current post-watershed content to be broadcast during the daytime with a mandatory PIN in place to restrict children accessing this material
• Confirm that the research is being conducted on behalf of Ofcom • Thank and close • Collect tasks
74
Appendix F: Qualitative stimulus
75
76
77
78
79
80