TV and Radio Compliance Consultant
So the BBC’s new editorial director, Kamal Ahmed, has said at the Edinburgh Book Festival that somebody coming forward from 1990 to view the News At Ten in 2018 would “pretty much recognise what they are… Continue
The due care of young people when making programmes is a tricky compliance area. Rule 1.28 requires broadcasters to take ‘due care’ of the welfare of under 18s who are involved in programmes. Where it is an entertainment broadcast and… Continue
It is not every day that I am phoned up by The Sun on Sunday to comment on one of their exclusives. But this happened on Saturday when the newspaper was preparing its… Continue
Cliff Richard is not the only person looking pensive after his High Court privacy victory over the BBC on 18 July. Many broadcasters are asking what it means for them in terms of their fairness and privacy (F&P) duties under… Continue
Ofcom’s tough line on hate speech is illustrated in its latest Bulletin (2 July 2018). A number of Ofcom-licensed channels aimed at Muslim viewers in the UK have in recent years seriously breached the Broadcasting Code by televising material encouraging… Continue
Ofcom has been under pressure from the anti-smoking lobby for many years with complaints about the prominence of smoking in drama series – or even cartoons like Tom and Jerry. Ofcom has steered… Continue
…do have periodic compliance reviews! Many broadcasters have set up arrangements for their compliance of TV and radio programmes, advertising, sponsorship and premium rate phone calls, and on demand services, for example and become comfortable with them. Like those… Continue
On the day the head of MI5, Andrew Parker (pictured), makes a headline grabbing speech warning about Russia creating a “fog of lies” over the Skripal poisoning, it is worth noting Ofcom is setting up new projects to investigate fake… Continue
Ofcom’s unprecedented announcement (18 April 2018) that it is opening seven new due impartiality investigations into the RT (formerly Russia Today) channel in the wake of the Skripal poisoning raises several fascinating legal and compliance questions. There has been… Continue