Ofcom regulates the content of all television and radio programmes in the UK, including

What is programmes on the BBC and all digital channels, as well as Channel 4, Five and ITV. Ofcom
operates the Ofcom Broadcasting Code which contains rules and principles covering standards in
OFCOM
OFCOM’S role programmes, sponsorship and fairness and privacy. OFCOM can issue punishments and if you
break any rules they will fine you .Also they have the power to take the license away from a TV
as a media
Factual
regulator?
Programme Regulations
channel and in the case of serious or persistent breaches, they can impose sanctions.

How it
How it could How it could
imposes
OFCOM affect your affect your
constraints on
Regulation product product
media
negatively positively
production?

All the reconstructions must be The negative point about

always fair and accurate. If there
Reconstruction is a risk of an audience member
being misled they should be a
s labelled before the TV
programme starts to avoid
confusion.
A person can’t normally film
secretly without approval from
OFCOM in advance. Also
Secret Filming Jiop]p
programme jowriter
]Ofcom
have toreplaced
write a
letter to OFCOM justification for
covert filming/recording.
Independent Television Commission
Do not promise anyone money,
Commission (BSC)
for example a victim of crim.
and
replaced the
First you should getold ITC and BSC
approval
from the broadcaster. Also do not
Payments pay or promise to pay a criminal
money before you have spoken to
a Lawyer.
The positive point of the
reconstruction is that it might
confuse the audience if it is not reconstruction is that it will jog
the audience’s memory on what
done well.
is happening in my rap
documentary.
For my documentary I will have to
The positive point is that I will ask
make sure I ask permission
OFCOM for permission to film
before filming. For example
the old regulators, the secretly if I was going to do secret
filming in London you have to ask filming on rap. If I don’t I could
permission to film in central get fined over 2 million pounds
London (ITC), the Broadcasting Standards
and also you could end up in jail.
the Radio Authority. The Ofcom Broadcasting Code
codes.
Before I do anything for my rap The positive point of this is that I
documentary I should pay for will know not to promise money
anything I need to but I shouldn’t
promise money
to a victim of a crime or anyone
else before talking to my lawyer
about it.

Contributors should take part in The positive point is that a Letter

Dealing with programmes on the basis of their

informed consent. The interviews
The negative for my rap
documentary is that I can’t use
to key prospective contributors
should be approved by the

Contributors must be fairly edited if there is

any swearing is should be edited
any rap music with swearing
words
commissioning editor and
programme lawyer before being
out. sent.

Potentially strong language, violence, sexual

violence, explicit sexual portrayal
Offensive has to be kept to a low to make
sure in doesn’t offend the
Material audience at the end of the
program there should be an
advice line to call for the
audience
The negative point about this is
The positive point I will make sure
that TV programmes could get
closed down if they don’t follow
that i don’t offend the audience in
any way I will make sure that my
these rule they will be fined so I
wouldn’t be using any of the
rap documentary wouldn’t have
any offensive material.
content in my documentary.

Any programs or documentary’s

The negative is that if I want any The positive is that nothing bad
with criminals in it needs special
Criminality care nothing bad will happen to
anyone and likely to be legally
criminals in my rap documentary I
will have to have special care for
will happen if I do have criminals
in my documentary because I will
example loads of guards have special care.
contentious