Chapter 4.2
Engaging The Industry
Annual Content Standards Dialogue with Broadcasters
During the year in review, MDA also held its annual content standards dialogue with pay-TV operators and Free-to-Air TV, radio broadcasters and content providers. This dialogue aimed to share with participants cases of content breaches from the previous year so as to enable the industry to co-regulate more effectively.
Media Industry Conversation
On industry development, 2015 witnessed the launch of MDA’s inaugural Media Industry Conversation (MIC) held on 27 October 2015 at The Star Performing Arts Centre. The event was attended by about 400 professionals across the film, TV, animation, games, publishing and online media sectors.
MIC provided industry players with insights on MDA’s sectorial development priorities for the next five years and a platform for them to feedback and discuss the future roadmap. The priorities outlined by MDA include deepening capabilities, powering business growth, winning more fans and content innovation.
At the event, industry players including Mr Derek Tan, Co-founder of Viddsee, Mr Melvin Ang, CEO & ED of mm2 Asia and Ms Irene Ang, CEO of FLY Entertainment, weighed in on how Singapore’s media industry can shape their own future.
“To keep up with this growing industry, you must be able to continue absorbing new things as they come and not be afraid to have people laugh at you.”
Irene Ang
CEO of FLY Entertainment
Co‑Classification of Films
Co-regulation is an existing key tenet of MDA’s regulatory regime. In the broadcast and pay-TV sectors, companies undertake self-classification of content in accordance to guidelines laid out by MDA.
In August 2015, this approach was extended to the films sector through a pilot Co-Classification Scheme. The trial was first launched for the video retailers and distributors in July 2011. Through trained Content Assessors, industry players are able to co-classify content up to the PG13 rating. To date, MDA has conducted 10 Content Assessor training sessions and certified 74 Content Assessors from 26 video and five film companies.