According to a new report, carried out by the BBC, the Broadcasting Standards Commission and the Independent Television Commission, even households without children were in favour of keeping the watershed in place, which prevents adult material from being broadcast before 9pm.
'The Watershed: Providing a Safe Viewing Zone' found that 95% of adults surveyed thought that the watershed should remain to protect children from unsuitable material, and 72% of children surveyed agreed.
The report also found that viewers favoured a gradual change in watershed content, rather than a sudden shift to adult material, the survey found. There was also concern that soap operas were trying to push the boundaries of what they could show in their pre-watershed timeslots.
All of the parents surveyed said that they had some control over their children's television viewing habits, with parents saying that they felt the ages of eight to 12 years old were of the most concern, because children were believed to be most impressionable and vulnerable to the influence of TV.
Younger children were easier to control and adult material often went over their heads, parents said, while teenagers were able to cope with adult content.
The survey came about following a series of workshops where participants described their expectations regarding programming. The second stage involved a survey of 4,000 adults and 1,500 children, who were asked about their viewing habits.
In addition, Barb data was used to examine how children's viewing patterns change during the evening.
The ITC and BSC are both set to be folded into the super-regulator Ofcom, when it comes into being at the end of the year. A summary of the report can be or a hard copy can be bought from the or .
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