Ofcom And BBC Meet To Sort Out TV Trust Issues
This week, Ofcom and the BBC Trust hosted a seminar to discuss the issues of trust in broadcasting, to look at what has already been done to restore this greatly diminished trust and to look at what needs to be done in the future.
Leading representatives of the broadcast industry agreed to a series of objectives.
They committed to formalising a cross-industry group to share best practice and consider a common approach to issues raised by the use of premium rate services in programmes.
The group also came to a decision to address the relationship between all parts of the supply-chain, where premium rate services are offered, including clarity on contractual and compliance issues, to ensure that responsibilities are clearly expressed and audience interests are clearly protected.
An agreement was reached to develop proposals for industry-wide training that includes freelance workers, based on ethical standards and editorial best practice that encompasses compliance with regulation and work towards a system of accreditation.
They will also explore over the coming months a common framework of principles to promote best practice in programme making. This would complement the existing compliance requirements by which all UK broadcasters are bound.
Participants also agreed to meet again in summer 2008 to review these actions.
Speaking after the meeting, David Currie, Ofcom chairman, said: “The issue of trust has been the dominating theme for the UK broadcasting sector in 2007. The UK has a thriving and vibrant broadcasting industry. It is therefore absolutely critical for both viewers and the industry as a whole that broadcasters take the initiative to regain the trust of their audiences. I look forward to working with broadcasters and the BBC Trust in taking forward the important agreements reached at the seminar.”
Sir Michael Lyons, BBC Trust chairman, added: “The meeting was extremely constructive and both David Currie and I are encouraged by the level of agreement achieved. It is essential that broadcasters work together in building audience confidence and trust in programme-making and both Ofcom and the BBC Trust are committed to supporting the broadcast industry in doing all it can to achieve this.”
At MediaTel Group’s Media Question Time this week (see Agencies Must Evolve To Strike Balance In Digital World), panellists expressed their views on this issue, with widespread agreement that most of the incidents that have dominated the debate have been unacceptable.
Emily Bell, director of digital content at Guardian Media Group, felt that Michael Grade’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy on viewer deception was laughable, as no one had even lost their job over any of the issues at ITV.
She said it was “mind blowing” and referred to incidents as endemic and fraudulent, adding that the only solution was for companies to learn to behave like “grown up businesses”.
Bell said there is a “duty of care to deliver what you’re taking the money for”, and suggested that broadcasters have been “completely blinded by the diversifying of revenue streams.”
Other solutions offered were getting rid of the current management structure and people in the top roles, and making participation TV similar to the Stateside model, where it is free. She added: “How can [broadcasters] avoid it in the future? They can understand the business they are in and stop treating their audiences with complete contempt.”
Both Mark Cranmer, CEO Of Research International, and Mark Howe, country director, UK Sales at Google, agree that integrity for the customer was missing, with Howe saying that TV has lost sight of the objective of respecting the audience.
Meanwhile. Richard Eyre, chairman of GCap Media plc and of the IAB, and chairman of RDF, the production company that produced the controversial documentary on the Queen, said he thought the recent resignation of BBC controller, Peter Fincham (see
Fincham Quits Following Queen Doco Shocker www.ofcom.org.uk BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk MediaTel Group: 020 7439 7575 www.mediatelgroup.co.uk