TV and Radio Compliance Consultant
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
Yes, Caesar did it on 10 January 49BC – Ofcom on Monday of this week (9 April 2108). The significance of this Ofcom move however was not recognised by commentators or the press at the time. Ofcom’s Rubicon was publishing… Continue
“To edit or not to edit, that is the question” is an issue often faced by standards compliance advisers. But it is rarely a more vexed point than in old films and TV programmes containing language considered acceptable at the… Continue
If more evidence were needed that Ofcom is serious in its determination to improve diversity and equal opportunities in the broadcasting industry, look no further than the latest Broadcast Bulletin (published 16 December 2017). It contains a Note to the… Continue
There is another clear example in Ofcom’s latest Bulletin (published 4 December 2017) of why the 9pm watershed is just that – a watershed and not a waterfall. This time is was Sky1 which fell foul of Rule 1.6 (“the… Continue
Rushanara Ali, Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow (see photo), featured in this Bulletin. Ms Ali was the subject of a four and half minute report broadcast on 29 April 2017 on Bangla TV, which referred to her in… Continue
Ofcom’s two breach decisions against Fox News published today (6 November) will no doubt be studied by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) with some interest. One of them found that a Tucker Carlson Tonight show (Tucker Carlson pictured) discussing the… Continue
It is crucial for broadcasters to get appropriate consent from people being filmed. In a sensible and well-reasoned not in breach privacy decision on Channel 5’s Fatal Fog: Winter Road Rescue (pictured), Ofcom sets out the sort of factors it… Continue
This issue was highlighted by the recent Ofcom decision to order Channel 4 News to broadcast a summary of its determination that the programme had seriously breached Rule 5.1 of the Broadcasting Code (lack of due accuracy in news).