Quote - you guys are both not reading what i'm writing.  i'm talking about the rating system, which is "voluntarily" adhered to by both cable and broadcast.  now, i suppose the same stuff could be on tbs as is on hbo.  but i'm betting they won't do that for several reasons.  but what goes on a station is one thing, how it's rated is another.  they don't internally rate, the TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board does.  mature audiences only is  not a tv vs. cable rating, it's one consistent rating system.

hence, as far as i can tell,  sex in the city has exactly the same editing to appear on broadcast as it does to appear on non-premium channels.

http://www.tvguidelines.org/ratings.asp

Right, rating system wise.  But you also inferred something about televised content:

there is a difference between what is allowed before and after 10 p.m.  but it has nothing to do with cable vs. broadcast.

Content is controlled by the FCC/broadcasters or not at all.   There is also another level to this - televised censorship.  Way back (and I can't remember the specifics), broadcasters decided to implement a censor system for what was allowed to be televised (both visuals and language).  This, of course, goes beyond the rating system - which is content advisory - and just removes content that is deemed offensive altogether (whether that be a little splice here or a bleep there).

I'm agreeing, just clarifying the point of content control - not ratings. :)

Interestingly, the MPAA has a very general rating system (...,PG, PG-13, R, X,..) whereas the TV Parental Guidelines rating system includes more levels and also includes specific information (AL, N, V, AC, GL, BN, ...) in the form of the Content Advisory.

Now the funny part.  Okay, you're talking AV.  AV and some music is rated.  I've never seen still images rated - is there even a system for such a thing?  I don't think that applying an AV rating system to 3D CG still renders makes sense - but there are 'broadcast' style issues when displayed over the internet and not in a restricted/membership context.
What do you think?

C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot. C++ makes it harder, but when you do, you blow your whole leg off.

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