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Page 1 of 2 The latest news and information about regulation by the Office of Communications (Ofcom)
 The Office of Communications
Riverside House
2a Southwark Bridge Road
London
SE1 9HA
Tel: 020 7981 3000
Fax: 020 7981 3333
Web: ofcom.org.uk
Complaints about any television or radio programme can be made by telephone on: 0845 456 3000 or sent by e-mail to Ofcom's Contact Centre: contact@ofcom.org.uk
MANAGING YOUR MEDIA an Ofcom Guide
Guidelines for standards complaints
Ofcom's Guide to TV on Demand
The Association for Television on Demand: ATVOD
Find out about the Ofcom Content Board
and Ofcom's Content Board deliberations
See the Communications Act 2003 and Clause 319
See Ofcom's Broadcasting Code
mediawatch-uk subission on Ofcom Broadcasting Code review 2009 here
See Ofcom's Complaints Bulletins
See Ofcom's Media Literacy
Media Literacy eBulletins
No 15 November 2008
No 16 December 2008
No 17 January 2009
No 18 February 2009
No 19 March 2009
No 20 April 2009
No 21 May 2009
No 22 June 2009
No 23 July 2009
No 24 August 2009
No 25 September 2009
No 26 October 2009
No 27 November 2009
No 28 December 2009
See Ofcom's News Release Archive
Ofcom's Public Service Blog
Ofcom's Consumer Panel Latest Newsletter
mediawatch-uk responses to Ofcom consultations
As from 1/11/2004 Ofcom contracted out the task of regulating TV advertising to the Advertising Standards Authority.
Close gap in TV regulation
OFCOM IN THE NEWS IN 2009 See also 2007 and 2006 Ofcom has Today Published the August Edition of the Media Literacy e-Bulletin.
 This
edition features items on the European Commission Recommendation on
Media Literacy and the new National Open College Network Media Literacy
qualification. Also included is an update on the work of the Champion
for Digital Inclusion and the Transformation Fund. As usual, there is
also information on campaigns, news from the Nations and dates for your
diary.
Ofcom Media Literacy bulletin No 24 here pdf hereAudience complaints
Ofcom News release 19/8/2009
Ofcom Hires Headhunters to find new C4 Chairman
 The media regulator Ofcom has appointed a firm of headhunters to officially begin the search for a new Channel 4
chairman to replace Luke Johnson. Johnson, the entrepreneur and head of
venture capital firm Risk Capital Partners, will step down in January
after six years in the job when his term of office ends.It is
understood that Ofcom has appointed the Zygos Partnership, which
previously led the search for ITV's executive chairman Michael Grade,
to begin the hunt for a successor to Johnson. Adverts for the role will
be placed early next month.
MediaGuardian 19/08/2009
Read More...
Why TV is a Massive Turn-Off for Over-65s: They're Fed Up with Repeats, Swearing and Violence
 Almost
half of over-65s believe television has deteriorated in the past five
years because of bad language, violence and the soaring number of
repeats. Research by media regulator Ofcom found that 46% of older
viewers think that content quality and the range of programmes that
channels offer has worsened.
At the same time, more than a
fifth of pensioners claimed that falling standards were the result of
broadcasters screening more violence and bad language in their shows.
And of the 2,000 over-65s surveyed, the majority - 62% - cited the
steady rise in the number of repeats being screened on mainstream TV as
a key reason for their frustration.
Last year, the five main
channels broadcast 33,165 hours of original programming - a fall of 3%
from 2007 and a slump of 5.6% from 2003.
John Beyer, director of lobby group mediawatch-uk, said: 'Ofcom's
findings show how strongly people feel about issues of taste, harm and
offence. Over the past few years we have seen TV audiences increasingly
state their dissatisfaction with the broadcast output - and it seems no
one is doing anything about it. I am calling on Ofcom to take
seriously their own research and the complaints, and show they are
listening to viewers' concerns.'
Daily Mail 6/8/2009
Read more... Ofcom in the News
Communications Not Dented by Downturn
 The
recession is failing to dent our love of communications, with UK
consumers spending more time than ever before watching TV, using their
mobile phone and surfing the internet.
But we are taking more
control over how we use our communications, as well as seeking out and
getting good deals in the downturn. Ofcom's sixth Communications
Market Report into the £52 billion TV, radio, broadband, telecoms and
mobile industries reveals just how important these services remain to
consumers despite the recession.
When asked which items they
were likely to cut back on, 47% would choose to cut back on going out
for dinner, 41% on DIY and 41% on holidays. This compares with only a
fifth (19%) who would cut back on mobile phone spend, 16% on TV
subscriptions and 10% on their broadband services.
Ofcom News release 6/8/2009
Read more... Communications Market Report Full Document pdf
Ofcom: Social Networking on the Rise
 The
credit crunch means we are turning to Facebook, texting, on-demand TV
and Twitter over holidays and nights out, according to Ofcom. In its
Communications Market Report, the communications watchdog found that up
to May 2009, 19 million people were using social networking website
Facebook for an average of six hours a month - up from four hours a
month the previous year.
But the number of 15-24 year olds
using social networking sites fell during the year from 55% to 50%.
Ofcom did not survey young people under the age of 14.
Twitter's
online presence has also shot up over the last year, from 0.1 million
Tweeters to 2.6 million in May. And mobile phone use is on the rise as
consumers are getting better deals.
Around 80 billion texts
were sent last year - an average of 100 texts per person per month -
mainly as a result of mobile phone packages including unlimited texts.
Television consumption is also changing, with more and more viewers
taking control of their viewing schedule through on-demand and online
services.
Channel 4 News 6/8/2009
Read more...
TV Subs Defy Credit Crunch
Fewer than one in five
people plan to cut back on TV subscriptions as they tighten their belts
in the economic recession, according to Ofcom research. The
regulator's annual communications market report found that spend on TV
languished in ninth place behind luxuries such as going out for dinner,
home improvement and holidays.
In Ofcom's poll of 862 people,
16% of people said they would cut TV subscriptions, compared to 19% who
said mobile phones. Spend on TV services is at its lowest level since
2003, helped by a competitive pricing market and the growing popularity
of bundled packages of TV, mobile and broadband.
Broadcastnow 6/8/2009
Read more...
Audience Complaints
Ofcom news release 5/8/2009
Read more...
MP Galloway's TV Shows Breached Broadcast Rules
George
Galloway breached the broadcasting rules on impartiality during his
shows on Press TV, the news channel funded by the Iranian government,
Ofcom said today.
The Respect MP accused the Israeli
government of using "a Nazi tactic", conducting a "brutal
apartheid-style occupation" and committing "war crimes" in various
editions of his discussion programmes broadcast during the Gaza
conflict in January.
Ofcom said the Real Deal and Comment
shows, hosted by Mr Galloway, had not ensured that appropriate weight
was given to a range of views. While it was not against the
broadcasting code for Mr Galloway to express his opinions, Ofcom said,
alternative viewpoints had to be aired on controversial issues.
The Independent 3/8/2009
Read more... Latest media literacy news
Ofcom has today published the July edition of the Media Literacy e-bulletin. This edition features items on the final meeting of the Digital Britain Media Literacy Working Group, a new web resource for teachers and Childnet's Youth Internet Governance Forum Project. There are also details of new research reports, campaigns, news from the Nations and dates for your diary.
Ofcom news release 29/7/2009
Media Literacy Bulletin 23 here Latest complaints here
True scale of public broadcasting decline revealed in Ofcom report
Ofcom, the media regulator, reported that the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, S4C and Five - the five main Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs) - have spent nearly 15 per cent less on original UK programmes over the last four years. Children's television and news programming had suffered the most as total PSB expenditure went down from £3 billion in 2004 to £2.6 billion in 2008, according to Ofcom's third annual PSB report. Overall spending on new UK-produced children's TV by the commercial broadcasters fell by 70 per cent, from £42 million in 2004 to £11 million; while the BBC's spending - including CBBC and CBeebies - fell by a fifth from £97 million to £77 million. Spending on news and current affairs across all the broadcasters fell from £289 million to £250 million.
The BBC's expenditure on news in the devolved nations and regions fell by 15 per cent from £220 million in 2005 to £186 million in 2008. Media analysts have told the Daily Telegraph that it is "unsurprising" that commercial broadcasters, such as ITV, have had to cut programme spending as advertising revenues continues to plummet in the current economic climate. However, they said it was more alarming the BBC should do so, as it receives a guaranteed £3.4bn annual budget from the licence fee, which has risen to £142.50 this year.
Daily Telegraph 22/7/2009
Read more... mediawatch-uk submission on PSB here
Ofcom news release here PSB: Annual Report 2009 here
Spending on UK Children's Shows 'Down 70%' at ITV, Channel 4 and Five
 Ofcom public-service broadcasting report finds fall in spending on UK-made children's programmes between 2004 and 2008.
The amount spent on UK-produced children's programmes by ITV, Channel 4 and Channel Five fell by 70% between 2004 and 2008, according to a new Ofcom report on the increasingly perilous state of investment in UK public service programming.
Ofcom's third annual report into UK public service broadcasting found that overall investment in PSB programming, from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, S4C and Five, fell by 15% between 2004 and 2008. Investment in original UK PSB programmes has fallen from £3bn to £2.6bn over the period.
Ofcom points to the declining investment figures across the board as stark evidence of the need to move forward with its proposals, published in January and taken on by the government in Lord Carter's Digital Britain report, to safeguard the future of PSB in the UK.
mediaGuardian 21/7/2009
Read More... Save Kids' TV
Ofcom Appoints Tory Peer Lord Blackwell as Board Member
Ofcom has appointed Lord Blackwell, the head of John Major's policy unit under the last Conservative government, as a non-executive board member. Blackwell, who headed the No 10 policy unit from 1995 to 1997, is also a board member - and former chairman - of the rightwing thinktank the Centre for Policy Studies.
He takes up the position, which became vacant after Lord Currie stepped down as chairman of Ofcom in March, on 1 September. The appointment comes shortly after Conservative leader David Cameron attacked Ofcom, saying that he would take away the communications regulator's policy-making powers and cut its staffing and budget. Cameron also criticised the pay of the Ofcom chief executive, Ed Richards.
Blackwell is a former partner at the management consultants McKinsey & Company and a senior independent director at Standard Life. He is also a board member at the Office of Fair Trading. "I am extremely pleased that the Board will be strengthened by someone of Lord Blackwell's business experience and intellectual stature," said Colette Bowe, chairman of Ofcom. "He will be a significant asset to Ofcom."
MediaGuardain 20/7/2009
Read more...
Audience complaints
Ofcom News release 14/7/2009
David Cameron's Attack on Ofcom Derided by Communications Minister
The communications minister, Lord Carter, has branded David Cameron's attack on the communications regulator Ofcom as "somewhere between superficial and ill-informed".
Carter, who was Ofcom's chief executive from its launch in 2003 until 2006, spoke out after Cameron singled out the regulator in a speech promising a cull of quangos under a Conservative government.
The peer, who last month unveiled his Digital Britain blueprint for the future of the UK's communications industry, said Cameron's thesis had been "incorrect".
mediaGuardian 10/07/2009
Read More...
Ofcom Trims Pay at Top
.jpg) Ofcom's much-criticised executive pay levels went down slightly last year, according to the communications regulator's annual report for 2008-09, published yesterday. Ed Richards, the Ofcom chief executive, who was singled out for direct criticism over his pay by David Cameron earlier this week, saw his total remuneration fall to £392,056, compared with £417,581 the previous year.
Cameron has vowed to cut back Ofcom and return its policy development role to government departments. By showing it is clamping down on pay, the regulator is trying to ensure its longevity.
MediaGuardian 9/07/2009
Read More...
Ofcom Handles 29,000 Complaints
On Broadcasting the Ofcom Annual Report 2008/09 says:
.jpg) The Central Operations broadcasting team logged 29,100 complaints from the public. Some complaints were passed to the Content and Standards Group for further investigation.
The greatest cause for complaint about television and radio programmes was material which viewers or listeners found harmful or offensive, including racist comments, strong language, sexual portrayal and material causing religious offence.
Concerns about competitions and voting were also raised. Around 15% of complaints were received about Big Brother 9 and around 7% of complaints were received about BBC Radio 2's The Russell Brand Show.
Published 8/7/2009
Introduction here
Annual Report here
Ofcom Hits Back at David Cameron
 Media regulator Ofcom today said it was "surprised" to be singled out in Tory leader David Cameron's attack on quangos, insisting it was good value for money. In a speech to the Reform thinktank in London today, Cameron pledged that a Conservative government would cut the number of quangos, starting with Ofcom.
"With a Conservative government, Ofcom as we know it will cease to exist," Cameron said. "Its remit will be restricted to its narrow technical and enforcement roles. It will no longer play a role in making policy. And the policy-making functions it has today will be transferred back fully to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport."
However, Ofcom hit back, saying it was created out of a move to cut the number of quangos, having arisen from the merger of five previous media and telecoms regulators. "As Ofcom is itself a product of regulatory rationalisation - merging five regulators into one - we are surprised at being highlighted in the speech," a spokesman for the regulator said.
MediaGuardian 6/7/2009
Read more...
Tories Pledge to Cut Back Quangos
 David Cameron is pledging to cut the number of unelected quangos to save money and increase accountability.
A Tory government would close one schools quango, while another - media regulator Ofcom - would be stripped of its policy-making role, he will say. The Tory leader will ask shadow cabinet ministers to identify which bodies within their areas should be cut back.
This weekend the government announced a review of public bodies in a bid to ensure cash goes to frontline services. Mr Cameron told the BBC he was not planning a "bonfire of the quangos", as had been promised in the past by former Tory deputy PM Michael Heseltine and by Gordon Brown when he was in opposition. He says media regulator Ofcom would lose its policy-making functions.
BBC News online 6/7/2009
Read more... Broadcastnow MediaGuardian
mediawatch-uk says: Ofcom: Strengthen Not Abolish It!
.jpg) Following the announcement made today by David Cameron, the leader of Her Majesty's opposition, that he proposes to "slim down" the Office of Communications to become just a licensing authority, John Beyer, Director of mediawatch-uk, said it would not be in the public interest to do this.
He said: "The right solution is to strengthen Ofcom to make it an effective regulator. At the moment it provides a proper mechanism through which complaints about offensive and harmful programme content can be properly addressed.
"In its short history Ofcom has been able to deal effectively with some of the worst excesses of violence, pornography and swearing on TV but we believe it could do more to ensure that ‘generally accepted standards' prevail. Mr Beyer said: "With all its faults and shortcomings, Ofcom currently provides a bridge between audiences and broadcasters and it would be wrong if that were destroyed".
Audience Complaints
Ofcom News release 1/7/2009
Read report
Ofcom could Force Sky to Make Premium Channels More Widely Available
 Media watchdog Ofcom put itself on collision course with BSkyB today by proposing to cap the cost of its premium sport and movie channels, potentially making them available on a wider range of platforms.
In its latest update on its investigation of the pay-TV market, the regulator also outlined plans to examine the terms of Sky's rights agreement with the FA Premier League. And it warned that it could refer the other cornerstone of Sky's subscription success, its deals for movie rights with Hollywood studios, to the Competition Commission.
Sky reacted angrily to Ofcom's statement, which follows proposals first set out in September. "We disagree fundamentally with Ofcom's approach, analysis and conclusions," a Sky spokesperson said. "In light of Ofcom's determination to pursue its preferred outcome, we will use all available legal avenues to challenge this unwarranted intervention."
MediaGuardian 26/6/2009
Read More...
Ofcom to Crack Down on 'Strong Sexual Content' Shown Just After Watershed
 The media regulator Ofcom is proposing to crack down on the amount of "sustained sex scenes and sexual language" shown on TV immediately after the 9pm watershed, to better protect younger viewers from explicit content broadcast free-to-air by so-called "babe channels" such as Playboy TV and Babeworld TV.
The proposed tightening of guidelines, relating to "images and/or language of a strong sexual nature", follows a rise in recent years of the number of babe channels, on which scantily clad women encourage viewers to call premium-rate phone lines.
Ofcom is concerned that these services are broadcasting sexually explicit content, including R18 material, that is only meant to appear on encrypted, subscription-only adult channels. In the past couple of years, the regulator has fined a number of babe channels for breaches of the broadcast code.
MediaGuardian 18/6/2009
Read more... Ofcom Code consultation
Review of Ofcom's Broadcasting Code
Ofcom today launched a review of its Broadcasting Code (the Code) which sets rules for TV and radio stations. The current Code, which has been in force since July 2005, is the rulebook that radio and TV broadcasters must comply with. It sets out what is acceptable to broadcast and covers such areas as the protection of children, harm and offence, fairness and privacy and commercial references in programmes.
The main areas under review are:
A range of proposed new rules for commercial radio. These aim to create greater commercial opportunities for radio stations. They could help create a wider range of programming while safeguarding consumer protection and editorial independence. Proposals to clarify other parts of the Code to help broadcasters avoid compliance failures in the future, particularly in relation to audience competitions and voting, and the broadcast of sexual material.
In addition:
The consultation also asks whether not-for-profit organisations should be permitted to fund programmes about their own activities or interests. These programmes, called Public Information Programming, would cover subjects in the public interest but could not deal with controversial matters. Currently such programming is not permitted.
The revised Code will also include mandatory changes as a result of new European legislation (the Audio Visual Media Services Directive).
The review of the Code has taken into account recent compliance failings, discussions with stakeholders and audience research. Ofcom will be undertaking further research on public attitudes on the use of language.
Ofcom News release 15/6/2009
Read more... Code Review Consultation Paper Ofcom in the News
Click on page 2 below for stories from January 2009 - April 2009....
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