SINGAPORE - SIX in 10 feel that the current film and arts content regulation is appropriate, a survey by government feedback unit Reach showed.

Only a minority in the poll of 1,500 Singapore residents aged above 15 felt that the regulations were either too relaxed or too restrictive.

The agency collected the data in the first quarter of this year through telephone interviews and released the results on Wednesday.

Respondents who were frequent patrons of film and arts performances and who saw the issue of content regulation as an important one, were more likely to feel the current regulations were somewhat restrictive.

Younger people were more likely to find the current regulations restrictive while older people find them more relaxed.

Those with children were less likely to feel that the regulations were restrictive compared to those without children.

Respondents who felt that current regulations were too relaxed said there was a need to protect the young from inappropriate content. Some also felt that society was still largely conservative.

On the other hand, those who felt the regulations were too restrictive cited the need for content variety and said that audiences could decide for themselves what was appropriate.

"As values and norms evolve with time, the challenge will be to gradually calibrate film and arts regulation in a manner that the majority in society finds to be balanced," Reach said. This means balancing the views of younger Singaporeans with those of parents and older Singaporeans, it added.

Reach will share the survey findings with relevant agencies such as the Media Development Authority, it said.