Ofcom Regulation Sheet

OFCOM Regulation

What is OFCOM’s role as a media regulator?

How it imposes constraints on media production?

How it could affect your product negatively

How it could affect your product positively

Office of Communication contains rules and principles, which every programme follows based on sponsorship, fairness and privacy, followed by “the code”. Some broadcasters are licensed by Ofcom to broadcast to its constraints in the code. If there are any failures breaching the code of Ofcom, they have the ability to fine, shorten or remove a channels license to broadcast and can lead to a bad reputation for both the channel and broadcaster.

Reconstructions

Reconstructions must be fair and accurate; if viewers are misled the reconstructions must be labelled. Actual parties should be informed to not be confused to a real event and any risks

I could be telling my audience to go to university to be a success in the future but then they could end up with a big debt and have a hard to time living.

They would realise the importance of university and a degree. With all kinds of information’s. All facts and figures will not mislead my target audience.

Secret Filming

Individuals must not be filmed secretly for a programme unless broadcaster has approved in advance.

This will not affect my production in a negative way. Because my documentary will not be filmed secretly it all will be filmed openly.

The positive about this regulation is that I will not be recording anyone secretly. All interview and information’s are going to be wide open nothing will be hidden.

Payments

Payments should not be made to sources or contributors without approval from the broadcaster; this does not include meals or taxi fares. Shouldn’t make any payments to a witness or defendant involved without consent of the commission editor and programme lawyer.

If I wish to interview a lawyer for opinions I might have to pay them for their time to answer any of my questions.

Those who I would be interviewing are not witness or defendants; my production has nothing to do with criminals.

Advertising contributor should be approved by programme lawyers and commissioning editor, everything that would be aired form the contributor must have consent.

I will be interviewing students or people from different university’s this could be advertising them.

This could good for my production because then they have a choice of places for higher education.

Materials that would cause an offence should be justifiable by the text; advice should also be taken form the legal & compliance department at an early stage of production.

Might be some offence to those people who has not been to university to receive higher education.

This could help me to prevent offence to others without higher education.

Dealing with Contributors

Potentially Offensive Material