TV and radio are monitored more stringently than papers, by Ofcom. Ofcom- the independent regulator of the telecommunication and wireless industries in the UK has basic statutory duties under the Communications Act 2003 which are to:
further the interests of citizens in relation to communication matters and to promote competition.
Ofcom is well renowned and its duties are clear. Everyone intending to broadcast- analogue or digital- must be given license by Ofcom. The reasons are that in order to broadcast, one must have air frequencies- or ‘spectrum’- which in the UK is scarce, so the moderator gives careful consideration to applicants before granting a license. The second is that as a watchdog, it provides that all terrestrial analogue stations (BBC, Channel 3, 4 and 5) and as per the Community Radio Order 2004, the 200 Community Radio station abide to the ‘public service’ remit, which is to show a percentage of news and current affairs output. Again, as the wave of on-demand services are made available, regulations have to adapt- On-demand services for example, are self-regulated by a group called the Association for Television on Demand, whose code broadly mirrors that of Ofcom.
Internet TV is now the next frontier for regulators- you can learn more about that by looking at some of Dan’s posts- who will find it hard to keep the tenet of freedom of expression in cyberspace and moral conduct of the community.
March 20, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Good informative post Michela. If internet TV is to take off, do you think we need to create a seperate regulation body or do you think offcom will need to branch out?