What Is Smart Signs?

Smart Signs is an informative classification system on the content of TV broadcasts. The system is designed to help broadcasters, parents and the society in general to carry out their responsibilities on the protection of children against possible harmful effect of broadcasts.

Smart Signs Meets an Important Demand of the Society

A large scaled research study representing the different fractions of the society proved that approximately 80% of the parents wish to be informed on the content of the programs and to be warned about possible harmful effects. This demand constitutes the vital motive at the background of the system.

Smart Signs is developed by independent experts from the sector and the system informs the public on two different elements of a program; possible harmful items of the content and the age group which the content is suitable for.

1. Possible harmful content groups: Violence/Fear, Sexuality, Bad Behaviors that can be model for minors (discrimination, excessive consumption of alcohol and tobacco, drug abuse, illegal actions and bad language).
2. Age groups: For all, Age 7 and up, Age 13 and up, Age 18 and up.

A questionnaire is developed in order to determine the content and age group of a program. Sample for this questionnaire can be reached under “Smart Signs Questionnaire” section. The questionnaire is filled by the coders of broadcasting organizations, who are trained and certified by RTÜK, through a website developed exclusively for coders. The symbols of a program are determined automatically according to the given answers to the questions. The meanings of the classification symbols can be seen under “Symbols” section.

Where Can I See the Symbols of a Program?

You can see the symbols on the screen during the broadcasting of a program or at the written and audiovisual media releases. You can also search for the symbols of a program under “Search” section of this website.

What Does It Mean When You See More Than One Symbol on the Screen?

• 

  Age 7 | Bad Behaviour

  This means that the program is not suitable for minors under age 7 as it may contain bad behaviors which can be taken as model by them.

• 

  Age 13 | Violence/Fear | Sexuality

  This means that this program both contains violence and/or fear and sexual content which make it unsuitable for children under age 13 to watch.