Watershed (broadcasting)

In broadcasting, the watershed (or safe harbor) is the time of day after which programming with content deemed suitable only for mature or adult audiences is permitted. In the same way that a geological watershed divides two drainage basins, a broadcasting watershed serves as a dividing line in a schedule between family-friendly content and content deemed suitable only for a more mature audience, such as programs containing objectionable content; this can include graphic violence, strong language, and sexual content, or strong references to those themes, even if they are not shown explicitly. Many countries expect or require the transition to more adult material to not be abrupt, with the more 'mature' material appearing only later in the evening. The degree to which the watershed is publicly discussed and referred to also varies by country and culture; for English, in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth it is common to refer to programming as watershed or pre-watershed, while in the United States referring to a program as in the safe harbor is industry jargon general audiences will usually not understand.

In some countries, watersheds are enforced by broadcasting laws. Cultural differences around the world allow those watershed times to vary. For instance, in Australia, the watershed time is 19:30 (7:30 p.m.), and in Italy it is 22:30 (10:30 p.m.). In some countries, the schedule is divided into periods with progressively fewer restrictions. In addition, some countries are more lenient towards subscription television and radio or pay-per-view channels than towards free-to-air channels.