Broadcasting

IN THE UK

In this unit, you are going to study the present-day situation in British mass communication. It is composed of several texts followed by questions to check your understanding of given information. After these texts, you will find a set of follow-up exercises based on the unit vocabulary.

When reading, pay special attention to collocations and sentences in blue and green ink: they are to be studied, translated, learnt and used in follow-up exercises and class discussions.

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Part 1. Current situation Programme standards & obligations

Broadcasting is a powerful medium. It has the potential to offend or mislead, as well as entertain and inform. So the independence enjoyed by broadcasters carries with it certain obligations over programme content.

Overall, programmes are expected to display a proper balance and cover a wide range of subject matter; they should be impartial in their handling of political or controversial issues; they should be accurate in their news coverage; and they should not offend against good taste and decency.

These obligations are reflected in the quality thresholds laid down for the award of broadcasting licences. Broadcasters have to comply with legislation relating to obscenity and incitement to racial hatred. They must also reflect the principles set out in the Ofcom codes on standards and fairness. These codes concentrate on reasonable audience expectations given the channel and the timing of a programme's broadcast. Particular care is required during hours when children are likely to be watching. By convention, programmes broadcast before the 21.00 hours 'watershed' are expected to be suitable for a general audience, including children. After that, progressively more challenging material may be shown, although with clear signposting for viewers. Ofcom applies detailed codes of practice on broadcasting content, which must reflect the general principles set out in the Ofcom codes of guidance. Broadcasting producers must work to strict guidelines in dealing with sexual matters, violence, strong language, and in addressing family audiences. If viewers and listeners think programmes have fallen short of the given standards, they can complain to the regulator. The codes are updated periodically to reflect changing public attitudes and requirements.

The UK has implemented two important European agreements on cross-border broadcasting – the Council of Europe Convention on Transfrontier Television and the European Community Directive on Broadcasting. These lay down minimum standards on advertising, sponsorship, taste and decency, and the portrayal of sex and violence on television that broadcasters are required to observe. The Government can proscribe unacceptable foreign satellite services receivable in the UK, and anyone in the UK supporting such a service can be prosecuted.

The Government regulates broadcasting by law. Regulations are set down in Acts of Parliament, which are then given to independent regulatory bodies to enforce. (Presently, Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services. This body produces its own codes for broadcasters to follow.) The authorities have the power to censure broadcasters for breaking these codes and in extreme cases can suspend the broadcaster's licence, effectively closing them down.

Questions:

1. What potential does broadcasting have?

2. What requirements are established for TV and radio broadcasts? Where are they reflected? Who creates and applies such codes (provide basic information about this organisation)? Are they ever reviewed?

3. In what way is cross-border broadcasting regulated? Is legal prosecution envisaged for violators?