Updated: 30.10.2008 taken from the 'Sky Guide Content Specification'
"….all current rules and guidelines that must be adhered to when publishing information on the Electronic Programme Guide, hereafter referred to as the EPG. This document should be used by broadcasters to check the validity and integrity of their EPG content in advance of releasing information to Sky."
Event Duration
§ Maximum recommended: 6 hours.
§ Minimum event duration: 2 minutes. For an event to be displayed on the Sky Guide grid, it must have a duration of 5 minutes or more. Events with a shorter duration will only appear on the search & scan banner.
§ Scheduling multiple events under 5 minutes in duration is not permitted.
§ If the event duration is less than 20 minutes, the full event title is unlikely to be displayed on the Sky Guide grid. In this instance the information icon will appear instead.
§ If a channel has a collection of short events it is possible for these to be grouped together and scheduled as one single event, known as a 'strand'. If a strand is used, the individual titles must then be included in the synopsis field. Strands must only be used for grouping events with durations of 20 minutes or less.
Event Title
§ A maximum of 34 alphanumeric characters. The displayed length is dependent on where the title is being viewed form and if ratings or flags are attached to the event (eg PG & S). Variations are:
- 'i' from Now & Next = 28 at all times
- 'i' from channel = 20 with ratings set; 24 with flags set; 34 with nothing set
- 'i' from grid = 24 with ratings set; 27 with flags set; 34 with nothing set
§ All event titles should be in mixed case or title case (eg The Taming Of The Shrew OR The taming of the shrew).
§ Titles written in upper case or lower case lettering will not be accepted unless they are branded that way (eg BBC FOUR or dinnerladies).
§ The title field must only contain the actual title of a program or seasons (normally the same as how it is displayed on the opening credits).
§ Promotional or additional titles, episode names or numbers that accompany the main event title must be placed in the synopsis (eg 'Cracker – Part One', 'All New Simpsons', 'Big Brother: the Final' are not permitted).
§ If individual programs are branded within a main strand but could be classified as stand alone episodes, both titles are permitted for distinction purposes - normal field lengths apply (eg'Real Crime:…' or 'Conspiracies:….').
§ Generic titles are not permissible (eg 'Film', 'Documentary', 'To Be Announced', 'No Title' etc).
§ If a number is written in full within a title, it must not be changed to its numeric form and vice versa (eg 'The Magnificent Seven' cannot be 'The Magnificent 7').
§ All foreign language channels are permitted to provide a title translation – normal field lengths apply.
§ Translations are required for all foreign titles with adult content.
§ Sky reserves the right to request titles to be amended if deemed inappropriate for publication on the EPG
§ If an event title exceeds 34 characters, the title should either be shortened or the last part placed at the beginning of the synopsis field (eg Title field: 'A Connecticut Yankee in….' in the Synopsis field: '…King Arthur's Court').
§ Abbreviated titles are not accepted unless previously agreed with EPG Services. Only abbreviations in common use can be used.
§ When subscription channels have special free view weekends/days the following formats will be permitted in the title field:
- <channel name> Free View Weekend/Day
- Free View: <event title>
§ When channels ask viewers to vote for a particular program/episode to be shown, the following format will be permitted in the title field:
Viewer Vote:<event title> OR Viewer Vote: <event title vs event title>
§ When a channel is still on air but is only showing a trailer loop or slate, events should be named '..program starts at HH.MMam/pm' in this exact format. 'This is <channel name>', 'Coming Up' etc.
§ The year of production can be included in the title field but only as a point of differentiation when there have been remakes (eg Italian Job (1969)).
§ When non-shopping channels have a shopping channel broadcasting during their downtime, only the name of the shopping channel can be displayed in the title field, not their individual programming.
§ All teleshopping events/infomercials must be given the title 'Teleshopping', all other information is reserved for the synopsis field.
§ The minimum duration for a teleshopping event is 15 minutes.
§ A maximum of 8 teleshopping events is permitted per 24 hours.
§ Please note that although 34 characters (including spaces) are available, due to the use of proportional fonts, truncation can occur.
§ See section 5 for Additional Text field Rules.
Event Synopsis
(The description of an event's content)
§ A maximum of 200 alphanumeric characters in mixed case lettering.
§ All program events must have a detailed synopsis.
§ The synopsis must be program specific.
§ Sky reserves the right to request a synopsis to be re-worded if deemed inappropriate for publication on the EPG.
§ A foreign language synopsis must contain an English translation. (A maximum of 200 characters still applies)
§ Words in upper case lettering will only be accepted if they are acronyms or are branded that way.
§ Subscription information is not permitted in the synopsis field.
§ Cross channel/platform promotion is not permitted.
§ The synopsis field must not be used as a promotional tool. It is for program specific information only.
§ Web-site addresses can only be mentioned if they directly relate to the program, they should not be included simply to promote the site. They can be included in the Channel Description section for general contact purposes.
§ The release year and duration of a movie can each be set in brackets at the end of the synopsis
§ Recommendation ratings can be included at the very end of the synopsis of movie type events if desired:
* Watchable
** Average
*** Good
**** Very Good
***** Unmissable
§ When Access Services are available, the following abbreviations are permitted:
- SL (or Signed) – for Sign Language
- S – for Subtitles
- AD – for Audio Described
§ These should be inserted after the synopsis in capitals, be separated by commas and contained in square brackets.
§ See section 5 for Additional Text field Rules.
Time formats
§ Times displayed in all fields must use the following format: HH.MMam (for am) or HH.MMpm (for pm)
§ Leading zeros must not be written. A valid time would be 5.00pm, an invalid time would be 05.00pm.
Certification
§ The rating categories denote certification levels that BSkyB define in line with the BBFC video classification and criteria.
§ Certification is only mandatory for movies shown on dedicated movie channels and on events allocated a 'Specialist' genre and 'Adult' sub-genre. (Although not mandatory on non-movie channels, it is recommended that this information is still provided for the benefit of the viewers).
§ All events with an Adult sub-genre must be rated.
§ Events should only be allocated a certification if they have the genres of 'Movie' or 'Specialist'/'Adult'. N.B Any variations from this must be authorized by EPG Services.
§ The following ratings are available (followed by the technical codes – see the Digital Broadcasters Flat File Interface Specification for more details):
- U - Universal. Suitable for all audiences, including young children. (01)
- PG - Parental guidance is recommended. Some discretion may need to be applied as to the suitability of the film for young or impressionable children. (02)
- 12 - Suitable for viewers aged 12 years or over. More mature themes or language make the film unsuitable viewing for young children (should not normally start before 8.00pm on any service). (03)
- 15 - Suitable for viewers aged 15 years or over. This classification will be awarded to a film that may contain stronger language, violence, or themes unsuitable for younger viewers (should not start before 9.00pm unless PIN protected on a premium subscription film service). (04)
- 18 - Suitable only for adult viewers aged 18 and over (should not start before10.00pm unless PIN protected on PPV services). (05)
- 18 with mandatory pin – Suitable only for adult viewers aged 18 and over. This should be used by all adult Pay Per Night channels. (31)
§ Refer to Ofcom's Broadcasting Code for further information on watershed rules and ratings.
Event Genre
§ When events are repeated, genres should remain consistent across all showings
§ The following genres are available:
- Entertainment
- Lifestyle & Culture
- News
- Documentaries
- Kids
- Movies
- Music and Radio
- Sports
- Specialist
- Undefined (this is only to be used for 'downtime' events or non program events such as Previews, What's On, ..programs start at etc, and must be accompanied by an 'Undefined' or 'free previews' sub genre).
§ When events are repeated, genres should remain consistent across all showings.
Sub Genre
§ Each genre has a number of possible sub-genres.
§ Where there is no suitable choice of sub genre for an event, 'Undefined' should be used.
§ The sub genres for each main genre (followed by the technical codes – please seethe Digital Broadcasters Flat File Interface Specification document for more details) are:
o Undefined (0):
§ Free Preview (31) (PPV Events only)
§ Undefined (0)
o Specialist (1):
§ Adult (1)
§ Event (2)
§ Shopping (3)
§ Gaming & Dating (4)
§ Undefined (0)
o Kids (2):
§ Cartoons (1)
§ Comedy (2)
§ Drama (3)
§ Educational (4)
§ Factual (6)
§ Games (9)
§ Game Shows (8)
§ Magazine (7)
§ Undefined (0)
§ Under 5's (5)
o Entertainment (3):
§ Action (1)
§ Animation (8)Antiques (22)
§ Chat Shows (9)
§ Comedy (2)
§ Detective (3)
§ Drama (4)
§ Factual (11)
§ Game Shows (5)
§ Medical (20)
§ Reviews (21)
§ Sci-fi (6)
§ Soaps (7)
§ Technology (15)
§ Undefined (0)
o Lifestyle & Culture (3)
§ Arts (16)
§ Art & Lit (24)
§ Ballet (25)
§ Cooking (10)
§ Fashion (12)
§ Gardening (13)
§ Home (18)
§ Lifestyle (17)
§ Magazine (19)
§ Motors (23)
§ Opera (26)
§ Travel (14)
o Music & Radio (4):
§ Alternative (7)
§ Art & Lit (17)
§ Ballet (13)
§ Business (27)
§ Classical (1)
§ Club & Dance (9)
§ Comedy (20)
§ Current Affairs (15)
§ Dance (12)
§ Discussion (24)
§ Drama (19)
§ Easy (23)
§ Entertainment (25)
§ Events (8)
§ Factual (18)
§ Features (16)
§ Folk/Country (2)
§ Gold (29)
§ Hip Hop (10)
§ Jazz (4)
§ Kids (14)
§ Lifestyle (21)
§ National (3)
§ News (22)
§ Opera (5)
§ Religious (26)
§ Rock & Pop (6)
§ Science (28)
§ Soap (30)
§ Soul/R&B (11)
§ Sport (31)
§ Undefined (0)
o News (5):
§ Business (1)
§ Features (19)
§ News (8)
§ Politics (7)
§ Showbiz (20)
§ Transport (22)
§ Undefined (0)
§ World Affairs (18)
o Documentaries (5)
§ Adventure (3)
§ Ancient (15)
§ Biography (4)
§ Cultures (2)
§ Docudrama (17)
§ Features (6)
§ Historical (14)
§ Learning (5)
§ Nature (9)
§ Politics (21)
§ Religious (10)
§ Science (11)
§ Showbiz (12)
§ Transport (16)
§ War (13)
§ World Affairs (23)
o Movies (6):
§ Action (1)
§ Adventure (18)
§ Animation (2)
§ Comedy (4)
§ Drama (6)
§ Erotic (17)
§ Factual (15)
§ Family (5)
§ Fantasy (16)
§ Horror (10)
§ Musical (12)
§ Mystery (13)
§ Romance (11)
§ Sci-fi (8)
§ Thriller (9)
§ Undefined (0)
§ War (19)
§ Western (14)
o Sports (7):
§ Athletics (2)
§ Baseball (3)
§ Basketball (4)
§ Boxing (5)
§ Cricket (6)
§ Darts (19)
§ Equestrian (14)
§ Extreme (21)
§ Fishing (7)
§ Football (8)
§ Golf (9)
§ Ice Hockey (10)
§ Motor Sport (11)
§ Racing (12)
§ Rugby (13)
§ Snooker (16)
§ Tennis (17)
§ Undefined (0)
§ US Football (1)
§ Watersports (20)
§ Wintersports (15)
§ Wrestling (18)
A-Z Listings
A-Z enables subscribers to view and locate programs by the use of an alphabetical listings grid that displays all programs according to time and channel.
§ Once located, events can be selected for immediate viewing if they are currently showing.
§ For use with TV events only, not radio events or PPV.
§ Non program events i.e. Previews, What's On, ..programs start at.. and This is (channel name) etc, must not be included in A-Z. All downtime events such as these must have the sort field set to null.
§ See Digital Broadcasters Flat File Interface Specification for technical requirements.
Seasons Link
Seasons Links enable the customer to receive a reminder, automatically tune to, or record (Sky+) a broadcast television event that is linked to an event previously placed into the Personal Planner. The broadcaster schedules the link.
All episodic programming must be linked. Episodic programming is defined as any of the following:
§ A seasons of any genre containing a continuous story line (e.g. Eastenders, DreamTeam)
§ A season of sports events (e.g. Davis Cup, Monday Night Football)
§ A strand of programming where each program has the same seasons title. This includes documentary programming (e.g. Panorama), entertainment (e.g. The Simpsons) and kids programming (e.g. Bob the Builder, Scooby Doo) where each episode has a self-contained story line.
§ A seasons of programs that do not contain a continuous story line, and that were not necessarily created as 'episodes', but that are promoted as related programming (e.g. a 'season' of films by a certain director; 'themed' scheduling, for example, a horror evening; or an event on at the same time each day.)
Links must be made in accordance with the following rules:
§ A program can only be linked to one future program. Many to one or one to many links are not supported.
§ A channel cannot link together all programs in a schedule. Only exception to this would be if a channel has a special day/weekend showing multiple, unrepeated episodes of the same seasons.
§ PPV movies or events cannot be linked. Events must have the same entitlements in order to be linked.
§ Sports events may only be linked to other events in the same tournament.
§ Where a seasons has a continuous story line, links will only be supported to the next consecutive episode (e.g. weekday episodes of Hollyoaks should be linked to each other, but not to the omnibus episode – omnibuses should be linked to each other; repeats within a day should not be linked).
§ Where a seasons has a continuous story line, first run episodes should not be linked to repeats, and vice versa.
§ Where one seasons ends and is followed by another (E.G. seasons 1 & 2 scheduled back to back) the linking should remain continuous.
§ Non-episodic programs may only be linked if promotion, either on air or through another form of media, identifies them as part of a 'season' or 'theme' evening.
§ When linking non-episodic programming, if the connection is not obvious to the viewer, it should be made so by use of the synopsis field.
§ In the specific case of 24 hour news scheduling, links will only be supported from one news program to the equivalent block the next day; there should be no linking within the same broadcast day (e.g. Breakfast News should be linked to the next Breakfast News)
§ Links are supported across channels, but only for programs meeting the criteria above or when a single program is scheduled on more than one channel (e.g. Wimbledon, Olympics etc)
§ See Digital Broadcasters Flat File Interface Specification document for technical requirements.
§ Note: Sky + supports events linked up to 4 weeks apart.
Widescreen
Indicates that an event is in 16:9 widescreen format.
§ Set for 16:9 broadcast stream.
§ Shown as 'W' on the right hand side of the title when the full programming information is displayed.
§ The Widescreen flag should not be set for HD events.
§ See Digital Broadcasters Flat File Interface Specification for technical requirements.
Subtitles
Indicates that an event has subtitles.
§ Set where the broadcast includes a hard-of-hearing subtitling stream.
§ Shown as 'S' on the right hand side of the title when the full programming information is displayed.
Sign Language
Indicates that an event has signing.
§ Set where the broadcast includes a sign language stream.
§ Shown as 'SL' on the right hand side of the title when the full programming information is displayed.
Ofcom Codes
All Ofcom Codes apply and must be complied with. The main Ofcom rules and regulations that affect EPG schedules are:
§ Religious Broadcasting – schedules must not contain anything deemed to be manipulative or exploitative, either emotionally or financially.
§ Offensive Language – schedules must not offend against good taste or decency or be offensive to public feeling. Text should be worded appropriately for viewing by all ages at any time of the day. EPG Services will decide whether they deem a title or synopsis information to be suitable.
§ Substantiating Claims – schedules must not contain any descriptions or claims which expressly, or by implication, mislead the viewer.
§ Certification – All certification watersheds must be complied with.
§ Teleshopping – a maximum of 3 hours per broadcast day is permitted on channels that do not have an Ofcom license stating otherwise.