Regulatory and Professional Bodies within the Media Sector

BBFC (British Board of Film Classification)

The BBFC stands for the British Board of Film Classification. The BBFC is a non- governmental organisation which is funded through the film industry, this is responsible for the national classification and censorships of films in the UK. They classify different films depending on the content in them. They categorize film in the following way: U, PG, 12, 12A, 15, 18, R18.



OFCOM (Office of Communications)

Ofcom is an independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries. They deal with licenses in Radio communications, broadcasters and TV broadcasts. They also consumer from what might be considered harmful or offensive material, they also make sure programmes should be on at right times. Ofcom regulate the TV and radio sectors, fixed line telecoms, mobiles, postal services, also the frequencies over which wireless devices operate. The founding of Ofcom was announced in June 2001 during the Queen’s Speech to the UK parliament it wasn’t until 29 December 2003 that it was officially launched.
Ofcom became heir to the duties that five different regulators had previously been responsible for, these are:

-          The Broadcasting Standards Commission

-          The independent television commission

-          The office of telecommunications

-          The Radio Authority

-          The Radio communications Agency

If there is a problem Ofcom have the power to step in and take action for the benefit and welfare of citizens and consumers. This includes encouraging competition or resolving regulatory disputes between communication providers. Ofcom also enforce consumer protection law, they protect and manage the radio spectrum, and to ensure that the viewers and listeners are protected from offensive and harmful material, Ofcom treats everyone fairly.

Ofcom: Code of Practise Sections:

-          Section One: Protecting the Under-Eighteens

-          Section Two: Harm and Offence

-          Section Three: Crime

-          Section Four: Religion

-          Section Five: Due Impartiality and Due Accuracy and Undue Prominence of Views and Opinions

-          Section Six: Elections and Referendums

-          Section Seven: Fairness

-          Section Eight: Privacy

-          Section Nine: Commercial References in Television Programming

-          Section Ten: Commercial Communications in Radio Programming

 
ASA (Advertising Standards Agency)

The Advertising Standards Authority is the UKs most independent regulator of advertising across all types of media. They apply the advertising codes which are written by the committees of advertising practice. There work includes acting on complaints that are made about the media product and proactively checking the media to take action against misleading, harmful or offensive advertisements.





PCC (Press Complaints Commission)

The Press Complaints Commission is an independent body which administers the system of self-regulation for the press. It does so primarily by dealing with complaints, framed within the terms of the Editors' Code of Practice, about the editorial content of the newspapers and magazines and the conduct of journalists. The editors’ code of practise is the rules that they have to abide by when publishing an advertisement.
The press complaints commission deal with complaints that are made against the press, they protect the rights of individuals and puts the editors into account.

PCC: Editors' Code of Practise Sections:

-          Accuracy

-          Opportunity to reply

-          Privacy

-          Harassment

-           Intrusion into grief or shock

-          Children

-          Children in sex cases

-          Hospitals

-          Reporting of Crime

-          Clandestine devices and subterfuge

-          Victims of sexual assault

-          Discrimination           

-          Financial Journalism

-          Confidential sources

-          Witness payments in criminal trials

-          Payment to criminals