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FAQ: UK Regulators |
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Who are they? |
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Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)
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The ASA write and enforce advertising rules across most of UK media
(including websites as of 1st March 2011)
ASA Pages:
Melon Farmers Pages: |
ASA Advertising Standards Authority Tel: 020 7492 2222 CAP/BCAP Tel: 020 7492 2100 for
advertising advice |
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Authority for Television on Demand (ATVOD)
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ATVOD is the Internet TV censor. Internet TV is defined loosely by the EU as
TV like services on the internet. Ofcom is the ultimate Internet TV censor but the task has been delegated to ATVOD. Ofcom charge high fees and demand registration of nearly all UK based businesses with video on their websites, especially those with films and TV programmes and of course porn videos. Only YouTube style sites and short news videos seem exempt. ATVOD changed name from Association for Video on Demand to Authority for Television on Demand in March 2011. ATVOD Pages: Melon Farmers Pages: |
ATVOD PO Box 561 Walton on Thames KT12 9DA Email: atvod@atvod.co.uk |
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British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) |
Film Censor with the remit:
The BBFC is an independent company tasked with UK film, video and games censorship. It is funded through classification fees. For cinema the BBFC historically represented the interests of the film industry to ensure that film makers avoided legal issues from obscenity law etc. BBFC cinema ratings are advisory and the ultimate censorship responsibility lies with local authorities. In the vast majority of cases BBFC advice is accepted by councils. But advice has often been overruled to ban BBFC certificated films or to allow BBFC banned films. For home video, DVD, Blu-ray and some video games, the BBFC acts as a government designated censor. BBFC decisions are enforced by law via the Video Recordings Act of 2010. For online films the BBFC offers a voluntary scheme of reusing BBFC vide certificates for online works. The BBFC will also rate online exclusive material if requested. Note that the Video Recordings Act does not apply online and content is only governed by the law of the land, particularly the Obscene Publications Act and Dangerous Pictures Act. The BBFC is due to relinquish responsibility for video games in July 2012. The Video Standards Council will take over the role and ratings will be provided using Europe wide PEGI ratings and symbols. Not that rejected home media is banned from sale. It is not generally illegal to possess. However criminal law makes it illegal to possess child & extreme porn. BBFC Pages: Melon Farmers Pages: |
BBFC 3 Soho Square, London, W1V 6HD Tel: 020 7440 1570 www.bbfc.co.uk BBFC Directors:
BBFC Ratings:
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British Broadcasting Corporation |
UK state Radio and TV broadcaster The BBC has had a history of self regulation but now Ofcom has also been appointed to some aspects of TV censorship applied to the BBC. A memorandum of understanding between the 2 parties states: Both the BBC and Ofcom have duties to consider standards complaints. The Trust is required to establish and maintain procedures for the handling and resolution of complaints about standards in the content of the BBC's services, including complaints regarding BBC editorial guidelines designed to secure appropriate standards, accuracy and impartiality, Ofcom's Fairness Code and the relevant programme standards as set out above. Ofcom is also required to consider and adjudicate on fairness complaints and to establish procedures for the handling and resolution of complaints about the observance by the BBC of standards referred to above. BBC Pages: Melon Farmers Pages: |
BBC Wood Lane London W12 7RJ Complaints: BBC Complaints Tel: 03700 100 222 |
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BBC Trust |
The BBC Trust is the governing body of the British
Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). It is operationally independent of BBC
management and external bodies, and aims to act in the best interests of
licence fee payers. The Trust is supported by a team of 70 staff, known as the Trust Unit. These staff are independent from the BBC Executive and include specialists in audience research, performance analysis, and finance. BBC Trust Pages: Melon Farmers Pages: |
BBC Trust Unit 180 Great Portland Street London W1W 5QZ Email: trust.enquiries@bbc.co.uk |
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Channel 4 |
Channel 4
is a UK commercial TV broadcaster Melon Farmers Pages: |
Channel 4 Enquiries PO Box 1058 Belfast BT1 9DU Tel: 0845 076 0191 Viewer enquiries |
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Channel 5 |
Channel 5 is a UK commercial TV broadcaster Channel 5 Pages Melon Farmers Pages: |
Customer Services Five Television 22 Long Acre London WC2E 9LY Tel: 08457 050505 Tel: 020 7421 7270 Email: customerservices@five.tv |
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Clearcast |
Clearcast are not official regulators. They are a group
funded by broadcasters. Clearcast maintain expertise about ASA/TV
advertising rules for the benefit of broadcasters and advertisers. Broadcast advertisers submit adverts to Clearcast for approval. Clearcast also assign child protection restrictions. Clearcast decisions can be, and often are, challenged by the ultimate advertising censors of the ASA Clearcast Pages Melon Farmers Pages: |
Note: Public complaints about broadcast advertising should
be addressed to the ASA Clearcast Tel: 020 7339 4700 |
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Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) |
The Crown Prosecution Service is the Government Department
responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in
England and Wales. It is responsible for:
The CPS define many of the archaic BBFC guidelines used for censoring R18 hardcore. In general the CPS maintain their current interpretation of vague laws used to decide when prosecutions will take place. CPS Pages |
The Crown Prosecution Service Rose Court 2 Southwark Bridge London SE1 9HS Tel: 020 3357 0000 |
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) |
Government department responsible for film and broadcasting.
Often the final responsibility for censorship reverts to the Home Office, especially when the censorial line is defined by legality. DCMS Pages: Melon Farmers Pages: |
Department for Culture Media and Sport 2-4 Cockspur Street London SW1Y 5DH Email: enquiries@culture.gov.uk |
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Home Office |
Government department responsible for most law and order
issues that underpin UK censorship Home Office Pages: Melon Farmers Pages: |
Direct Communications Unit (public enquiries) 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF Email: public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk |
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Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) |
An organisation established and funded by the internet industry mainly targeted at removing or blocking child abuse material The IWF coordinates take downs of illegal material reported or found on UK hosted websites. It maintains a list of blocked websites of foreign hosted material for UK ISPs to implement Thankfully the IWF is keeping its focus on its role to remove child abuse images. It does also have a remit to take down other UK hosted material:
IWF Pages: Melon Farmers Pages: |
The Internet Watch Foundation East View 5 Coles Lane Oakington Cambridge CB24 3BA Tel: +44 (0) 1223 237 700 Email: information@iwf.org.uk |
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ITV |
Independent Television Commercial TV network The ITV Network is made up of 15 regional licences. 11 of the licences in England and Wales are owned by ITV Plc, formed in 2004 following the merger of Carlton and Granada. SMG owns the two Scottish licences, Scottish Television and Grampian; UTV and Channel Television own the licences for Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands respectively. |
Viewer Services ITV Plc Gas Street Birmingham B1 2JT Tel: 0844 88 14150 |
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Ministry of Justice |
UK Government responsible for the law court service and
hence the ultimate British censors See latest news: Government Censorship |
Ministry of Justice 102 Petty France London SW1H 9AJ United Kingdom Email: general.queries@justice.gsi.gov.uk |
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Ofcom |
The Office of Communications. A regulator with multiple roles. Roles of Interest to Melon Farmers are:
See latest news: Ofcom Watch |
Ofcom Riverside House 2a Southwark Bridge Road London SE1 9HA Tel: 0300 123 3333 public complaints Tel: 0300 123 3000 general switchboard |
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ParentPort |
ParentPort is a website run jointly by the UK's media
censors.
It is a central reporting point for parents to complain about anything they see on the media. Complaints to ParentPort will then be forwarded to the appropriate censor. |
www.parentport.org.uk |
PhonepayPlus |
PhonepayPlus (previously known as ICSTIS) regulates phone-paid services in the UK. These are the premium rate goods and services that you can buy by charging the cost to your phone bill and pre-pay account. | Phoneplayplus Clove Building 4 Maguire Street London SE1 2NQ Tel: 020 7940 7474 General enquiries |
 Press Complaints Commission (PCC) |
The PCC is an independent self-regulatory body which deals
with complaints about
the editorial content of newspapers and magazines (and their websites). The PCC is funded by the annual levy it charges newspapers and magazines. It has no legal powers. Chairman of the Commission:
See latest news: PCC Watch |
Press Complaints Commission Email: complaints@pcc.org.uk |
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Radio Advertising Clearance Centre |
Radio Advertising Clearance Centre. The RACC is not an official censor. It is funded by commercial radio stations to maintain expertise and provide advice about the current radio advertising rules. Radio advertisers then pay copy clearance fees to the RACC. Commercial radio stations have to ensure advertising compliance. They must follow the rules of The BCAP UK Code of Broadcast Advertising. |
Note: Public complaints about radio advertising should
be addressed to the ASA RadioCentre Ltd Tel: 020 3206 7808 |
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Sky (BSkyB) |
Sky satellite TV broadcasters | 6 Centaurs Business Park, Grant Way Isleworth Middlesex TW7 5QD Tel: 08442 410 265 for programme comments |
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True Vision (UK Police) |
True Vision
A police website reporting and finding out about hate crimes. |
www.report-it.org.uk Email: enquiries@report-it.org.uk. |
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Video Standards Council (VSC) |
The Video Standards Council are set to become the UK video
game censors starting from autumn 2010. They will use pan-European PEGI
ratings See latest news: VSC & PEGI Watch |
VSC Kinetic Business Centre Theobald Street Borehamwood WD6 4PJ Tel: 0208 387 4020 |
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