Scheduling and Timing Restrictions and Presentation Codes for TV Commercials
Scheduling and Timing Restrictions
| AA | Not to be transmitted in the breaks immediately before during or immediately after any children’s programme featuring <Names> |
| AP | Features candidate for parliamentary By- or Local Authority election. Not to be transmitted during news or election results programmes in that area |
| BE | Not be transmitted first or last in any break |
| BF | Not to be transmitted first in any break |
| BL | Not to be transmitted last in any break |
| CE | Certificate 18 (film or game) |
| CF | Certificate 15 (film or game) |
| CG | Certificate G (film or game) |
| CP | Certificate PG (film or game) |
| CS | Certificate 16 (film or game) |
| CT | Certificate 12 (film or game) |
| CU | Certificate U (film or game) |
| CY | Not to be transmitted in or adjacent to children’s programmes or programmes commissioned for, principally directed at, or likely to appeal particularly to audiences below the age of 18 |
| DC | Alcohol ad - Not to be transmitted in or adjacent to children’s programmes or programmes commissioned for, principally directed at, or likely to appeal particularly to audiences below the age of 18 |
| EC | Not to be transmitted in the breaks adjacent to any parliamentary broadcast or party conference coverage |
| EG | Features UK politician. Not to be transmitted during a General, By- or European election campaign |
| EI | Not to be transmitted during any industrial dispute |
| EF | To be transmitted only on specialised financial channels or in specialised financial programming |
| EP | Not to be transmitted in the breaks adjacent to any party political broadcast |
| FH | HFSS product – not to be transmitted in or adjacent to programmes commissioned for, principally directed at or likely to appeal particularly to audiences below the age of 16 |
| FL | Non-HFSS product |
| GG | Ad for Betting, Gaming or Bingo – not to be transmitted in, or adjacent to, religious programmes, children’s programmes or programmes commissioned for, principally directed at or likely to appeal particularly to audiences below the age of 18 but see Presentation Note below |
| KA | Ad for sanitary products or condoms. Not to be transmitted in or adjacent to programmes commissioned for, principally directed at or likely to appeal to children under 10 |
| KB | Contains content that might cause physical mental or moral harm to children. and/or action that, if emulated, could cause danger or harm to children. Not to be transmitted in or adjacent to programmes commissioned for, principally directed at or likely to appeal to children under 16 |
| KC | Ad for <Specific Category>. Not to be transmitted in or adjacent to programmes commissioned for, principally directed at or likely to appeal to children under 16 |
| L1G | The nature of the advertised product or service may not be suitable for children under 16 |
| L1H | Risk that emulation may result but not considered to be a risk of serious harm and/or mild scary scenes that may frighten and so cause mental harm to very young viewers |
| L1S | Mild innuendo or sexual activity (such as kissing). Non-sexual nudity |
| L1T | Ad for sanitary products or condoms. Not to be placed in or adjacent to programmes commissioned for, principally directed at or likely to appeal to children under 10 |
| L1V | Mild interpersonal violence e.g. slap or punch |
| L2H | Potential for emulation. Not suitable for young children as copying the behaviour may result in them placing themselves in a potentially harmful situation (but not life threatening). Scenes of threat and horror in the home. Morphing and/or scary faces |
| L2S | Moderate innuendo. Moderate non-graphic sexual activity; this might be nudity in a sexual context |
| L2V | Interpersonal contact may be strong but brief, moderate or strong but brief, aggressive behaviour. Visuals of injuries which aren’t too graphic but may be bloody |
| L3H | Risk of emulation will be serious |
| L3S | Strong sexual content (but not overtly graphic) including sexual entertainment. Open discussion of sex. Strong and/or crude innuendo. Sexual nudity (no nipples/pubic hair/genitalia) |
| L3V | Strong and repeated violence. For example, scenes of threat and/or horror. Aggressive behaviour or visuals of injuries, brief scenes of torture |
| L4H | Harm is likely to focus on graphic content rather than risk of emulation. Emulation with risk of serious harm is likely to be covered by L3H |
| L4S | Strong sexual content - briefly graphic. Open discussion of sex or crude innuendo. Sexual nudity. Repeated scenes of sexual encounters |
| L4V | Very strong, relentless and graphic violence; |
| L5H | Strongest level of allowable graphic or upsetting content |
| L5S | The strongest sexual content allowable, likely to be graphic, repeated, crude or realistic including commercials for encrypted porn channels |
| L5V | Strongest violent content allowable. Extremely violent, multiple scenes of contact. Graphic scenes of injury including e.g. scenes of torture and suffering. Realistic or urban crime particularly that which might be considered to glamourise such behaviour |
| PP | To be transmitted at least two hours away from <programme name> |
| PR | Not to be transmitted in the breaks immediately before, during and immediately after religious programmes |
| TL | To be transmitted post 2300. This restriction includes the lesser KB, TS, TN and TT restrictions |
| TN | To be transmitted post 2100. This restriction includes the lesser KB and TS restrictions |
| TS | To be transmitted post 1930. This restriction includes the lesser KB scheduling restriction |
| TT | To be transmitted post 2200. This restriction includes the lesser KB, TS and TN restrictions |
| VAA | Advertiser's assurance has been received after Clearcast found substantiation unsatisfactory, run with caution |
| VFD | VoD ad for HFSS food |
| VFL | VoD Ad for non-HFSS food |
| VHC | If HFSS, the ad is not compliant with the HFSS content rules |
| VM | Advertiser unlikely to be successful in supporting claim(s), run with caution |
Presentation codes
| 21 | Muted sound |
| 23 | Features sound distortion/interference |
| 24 | Features visual distortion/interference |
| 25 | Features simulated transmission failure |
| 28 | Not in English |
| 29 | Features either unlinked commercials back to back or two or more products linked together in one ad |
| 30 | Features explosions |
| 31 | Features firearms |
| 32 | Broadcasters may wish to view this ad to determine its acceptability for transmission in programmes appealing to children under 10 years |
| 33 | Includes competition entry mechanic |
| 42 | Features additional advertisers or brands <Advertisers> |
| 49 | Contains a telephone number <Number> |
| 50 | This ad features a website address <Website Address> |
| 52 | Features <Appropriate Info Here> |
| 53 | Commercial contains legal superimposed text |
| 54 | GAMING - a voluntary agreement exists not to schedule gaming ads before 21.00 |
| 55 | BETTING - a voluntary agreement exists not to schedule gambling ads before 21.00. This agreement does not apply to sports betting around televised sporting events |
| 56 | WEBSITE - this is a bingo or betting ad containing a reference to a website with links to gaming on its homepage |
| 57 | GAMBLING - This ad invites participation in gaming in exchange for money. Legal advice should be sought on this ad being broadcast in Northern Ireland |
| 58 | This ad includes a competitor broadcaster or content provider <Name> |
| 59 | This is a Bingo or Betting ad containing a sign up offer for new customers. A voluntary agreement exists not to schedule these ads before 2100 |
| 60 | Audio Described |
| 61 | This ad is for cosmetic surgery procedures |
