TV & Radio, Statutory Regulation, BBC

Question 1

TV & Radio have…

Answer 1

Statutory Regulation

Question 2

The Communications Act 2003

Answer 2

• Established Ofcom - Office of Communications.
• Arm’s length from government (but Chair appointed by Govt).
• Issues licences to commercial broadcasters.
• Issues the Ofcom Broadcasting Code and can issue fines and revoke licences for breaches of the code.
• Ofcom previously looked at some complaints about the BBC – and has even fined the BBC – but its role in fully regulating the BBC only began in 2017.

Question 3

1922

Broadcasting Timeline

Answer 3

BBC formed as British Broadcasting Company (by group of radio manufacturers) funded by licence fee

Question 4

1927

Broadcasting Timeline

Answer 4

• British Broadcasting Corporation – royal
  charter, setting out public obligations and guaranteeing editorial independence.
• BBC Governors.
• Licence fee.
• Independent from direct state control.
• No advertising – independent from commercial interests.

Question 5

1955

Broadcasting Timeline

Answer 5

ITV (controversial but popular)

Question 6

1973

Broadcasting timeline

Answer 6

Commerical radio

Question 7

1982

Broadcasting timeline

Answer 7

Channel 4, public service broadcaster, state-owned but commercially funded via advertising, remit to experiment and serve diverse communities.

Question 8

Commercial broadcasting is…

Answer 8

market driven - funded by advertising, also now subscription, but has some ‘public service’ requirements.

Question 9

Ofcom Broadcasting Code:

Answer 9

• Covers much more than news and journalism.
• News, in whatever form, must be reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality.
• Broadcasters must avoid unjust or unfair treatment of individuals or organisations in programmes
• Ofcom Code is very detailed compared to Editors’ Code, but apart from impartiality the biggest difference is Ofcom’s power to enforce and punish.

Question 10

BBC Editorial Guidelines

Answer 10

• These incorporate the Ofcom code but often add more guidance, such as, re Accuracy: ‘Accuracy is not simply a matter of getting facts right.
• If an issue is controversial, relevant opinions as well as facts may need to be considered.
• When necessary, all the relevant information should be weighted to get at the truth…
• In news and current affairs content, achieving due accuracy is more important than speed…’

Question 11

What is due impartiality?

Answer 11

Neutrality within reason

Question 12

Statutory regulation

Answer 12

Forces our broadcasters to be more constrained, careful, impartial, responsible