ÑÇÖÞÉ«ÇéÍø

View the related practice notes about Ofcom Broadcasting Code

UK media content regulation

UK media content regulation This Practice Note provides an overview of media content regulation in the UK. The main media regulators are as follows: Media Regulator Broadcasting (television and radio) Ofcom Press and magazines Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) Advertising Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) Cinema and video British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) Video on demand (VoD) Ofcom Video-sharing platforms (VSPs) Ofcom Social media platforms and search engines Ofcom Broadcasting Ofcom regulates the content of television and radio programmes by establishing and applying codes containing rules which broadcasters are obliged to follow. The principal code for regulating editorial content is the Ofcom Broadcasting Code (OBC). Ofcom coregulates broadcast advertising with the ASA—see: Advertising below. The OBC Ofcom is required by law to maintain a code for television and radio covering standards in programmes, sponsorship, product placement in television programmes, fairness and privacy. The main code is the OBC. As well as applying to the content of television and radio in services licensed by Ofcom, the OBC applies to...

The Media Act 2024

The Media Act 2024 This Practice Note contains guidance on the Media Act 2024 (MA 2024), which has been introduced in order to bring the regulation of public service broadcasters (PSBs) up to date following the changing technology of smart TV and the growth of video-on-demand (VoD). It sets out the key legislative provisions and considers their impact on businesses. It also summarises the implications on the regulator, Ofcom, as a result of its wider powers contained in the legislation. Background to MA 2024 In April 2022, a White Paper entitled Up next—the government’s vision for the broadcasting sector (the White Paper) was presented to Parliament by the then Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). On the same day, the government provided its response to the Digital Radio and Audio Review. The Digital Radio and Audio Review had been commissioned in 2020 to look at the regulatory landscape for radio and audio and make recommendations in the context of changes in listening habits which now see...

View the related q&as about Ofcom Broadcasting Code

Under the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018, can the right to erasure be used to remove references to an employment tribunal case which has been publicly reported in the media?

Under the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018, can the right to erasure be used to remove references to an employment tribunal case which has been publicly reported in the media? In answering this Q&A, the exceptions under the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018) and the General Data Protection Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), which may be relied upon to reject a request made by a data subject attempting to exercise the right to erasure, have been considered. The Q&A then focuses on the exception given for freedom of expression and information under Article 17(3)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the GDPR as it appears to be the likely exception relied upon for publication of information in the media. Right to erasure under the GDPR Under Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the GDPR data subjects have the right to have their personal data erased. The broad principle underpinning this right to erasure is to enable an individual to request the deletion or removal...

Where a child is the subject of historic online news articles/reports, can a request for erasure be made by the child’s guardian for the purposes of safeguarding the child in the future?

Where a child is the subject of historic online news articles/reports, can a request for erasure be made by the child’s guardian for the purposes of safeguarding the child in the future? Much will depend on the content of the ‘online news articles/reports’ referred to in the question. Below, we have set out some of the major points practitioners may wish to consider, alongside links to more detailed guidance. Note that this answer adopts several terms common in data protection law (such as data subject and data controller) which are discussed in Practice Note: Key definitions under UK data protection law and we recommend referring to that document wherever necessary. Data protection law If the articles contain the child’s personal data, their rights under Retained Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (the UK GDPR) will be engaged. We cover the scope of personal data in detail in Practice Notes: Key definitions under UK data protection law and The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). Under Article 17 of the UK GDPR, data...

View the related News about Ofcom Broadcasting Code

Ofcom consults on Broadcasting Code amendment following High Court ruling on politician presenters

Ofcom has launched a consultation on amending Rule 5.3 of its Broadcasting Code following a High Court ruling that confirmed the current rule only restricts politicians from presenting news in designated 'news programmes'. The proposed amendment would extend the restriction to all television and radio programmes. The consultation aims to address the increasingly blurred distinction between news and current affairs content, and responds to the growing trend of politicians presenting broadcast programmes. The consultation starts on the 12 May to 23 June 2025.