What Is Ofcom? A Complete Resource Guide
Ofcom , the Office of Communications, regulates the communications industry in the UK, ensuring fair competition and protecting consumers’ interests. It oversees television, radio, telecoms, and postal services, enforcing standards and promoting innovation.
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What Is Ofcom?
Ofcom stands for the Office of Communications, and its primary aim is to regulate most content on television and U.K video-on-demand services. This excludes the content that is broadcast during a commercial break. Commercial broadcasters need a license from Ofcom to broadcast as long as they comply with their codes.
For example, the primary Code that applies to television program content and on-demand content is the Ofcom Broadcasting Code . Similarly, independent production companies and program creators will have to be contractually obligated to comply with the Ofcom codes and handbook. You can read about the safety of Ofcom here.
They ensure individuals receive optimal broadband, home phone, and mobile services while monitoring TV and radio offerings. Additionally, they oversee the universal postal service, requiring Royal Mail to maintain six-day letter delivery and five-day parcel collection at consistent rates across the UK.
Their responsibilities extend to managing the airwaves utilised by wireless devices such as cordless phones, walkie talkies, and certain car keys and doorbells.
They also contribute to enhancing online safety by enforcing effective systems within companies to safeguard users from harm and fraudulent practices, especially concerning vulnerable or elderly individuals.
With their directives originating from Parliament, their foremost objective is to safeguard consumers’ interests, sometimes by fostering competition among regulated companies.
What Are The Primary Duties Of Ofcom
Ofcom aims to fulfil its duties so that everyone can have a positive experience in television and broadcasting. Here are some of the primary duties of Ofcom that you need to be familiar with:
Ensuring a variety and wide range of electronic communication services, such as high-speed data services
Ensuring the best use of the electromagnetic spectrum
Ensuring a wide variety of radio and television services of broad appeal and high-quality
Applying protection for audiences against infringement of privacy or unfairness
Applying protection for the audience against harmful or offensive content
These duties are essential to Ofcom, and they must regulate content this way. For example, suppose someone doesn’t comply with the Code. In that case, Ofcom can impose a substantial fine, remove a channel’s license to broadcast, and issue a direction to broadcast the summary of the adjudication by the channel on air.
Some of the most critical responsibilities of Ofcom include:
Licensing Broadcasters
Promoting Media Literacy
Approval Of Changes In Broadcast Media Ownership
Any such action by Ofcom can seriously hurt the reputation of the program maker or broadcaster that breached the Code. The negative press will be challenging to recover from, as many broadcasters don’t. So, it is always better to comply with the Code and follow the guidelines set by Ofcom. Ofcome does not, however, have glowing reviews as you can see below:
Ofcom trustpilot reviews
What Are Ofcom Not Responsible For?
Facilitate the resolution of individual disputes between you and your home phone, broadband, or mobile provider through an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme;
Oversee premium-rate telephone services, regulated by the Phone-paid Services Authority;
Establish standards of advertising on TV, radio, or the internet, regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority;
Determine standards for programmes on the BBC World Service;
Set the level of the BBC licence fee;
Regulate post offices;
Determine permissible content in newspapers and magazines; or
Ensure the safety of online services by implementing measures to safeguard users.
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What is the Ofcom Safety Bill?
The Online Safety Bill has completed its final Parliamentary debate on Tuesday 19 September 2023, and is poised to become law. This milestone reflects the government’s commitment to implementing robust child protection measures and empowering adults to manage their online experiences while safeguarding mental health. The bill adopts a zero-tolerance stance towards child protection and holds social media platforms accountable for hosted content, imposing substantial fines and potential imprisonment for failure to promptly remove harmful material.
How Has Ofcom Changed Over Time?
Ofcom’s scope of authority has significantly broadened over time, marked by the accumulation of substantial additional duties and powers. Initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002, Ofcom was bestowed with its full suite of early powers through the Communications Act 2003, supplanting five distinct TV and radio regulators. In subsequent years, Ofcom’s jurisdiction expanded to encompass the regulation of video-on-demand services in 2010 and postal industries in 2011. Additional powers were conferred upon Ofcom in 2017, extending its regulatory oversight to include the BBC. The year 2020 witnessed another expansion of Ofcom’s remit to encompass the regulation of video-sharing platforms like YouTube.
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