ISBA Accuses Government Of ‘Fudging’ BBC Regulation
ISBA has accused the Government of ‘fudging’ the issue of how much control Ofcom should have over the BBC, claiming that its decision to fine the Corporation for breeches of programming regulations does not go far enough.
Earlier this week in her response to the Joint Scrutiny Committee, Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell, announced that the BBC should face the same penalties for breeches of the taste and decency codes as its rivals (see BBC To Face Regulatory Fines Under Ofcom).
However, ISBA is unsatisfied with the proposal and is renewing its calls for the BBC to be brought firmly within the remit of the new super-regulator, Ofcom.
ISBA’s director general, Malcolm Earnshaw, said: “Whilst we welcome the Government’s plans to allow Ofcom to fine the BBC over content standards, we believe this does not go far enough and that Ofcom should be given clear and unequivocal powers to regulate the BBC in respect both of competition law and public service obligations.”
The advertising body also expressed concern that the proposed Communications Bill fails to recognise the importance of advertisers in the media community. Earnshaw added: “We would also like to see clearer recognition by Government of the important role advertisers play in UK media, the economy and society, and continues to call for Ofcom to be given a clear ‘general duty’ to respect advertiser interests.”
However, ISBA joined the Advertising Association (AA) in welcoming the Government’s proposals to allow the industry to work with Ofcom to develop a system for accredited self regulation of broadcast advertising.
The AA’s director general, Andrew Brown, said: “At a time when media are converging, it makes no sense in the long run to have different systems with statutory regulation for the broadcast media and self-regulation for everything else.”
He added: “The AA and its members have been consistent in calling for a move towards effective self-regulation of broadcast advertising content since the consultation prior to the White Paper in December 2000. The whole business will now have much work to do in designing the system it has asked for.”
Both groups also praised the Government for its decision to press ahead with plans to allow the non-European ownership of UK broadcast assets on the grounds that it will lead to increased investment in the UK’s commercial media.
Advertising Association: 020 828 2771 www.adassoc.org.uk ISBA: 020 7499 7502 www.isba.org.uk
Recent Related Stories from NewsLine IPA Launches New Business Group To Promote Best Practice J-ET Trading System Welcomed As Ground-Breaking IPA And D&AD Launch Training Manifesto For Creatives
Subscribers can access ten years of media news and analysis in the Archive