Ofcom has opened yet another investigation into Gb News following the Laurence Fox rant on Dan Wootton Tonight, which the regulator revealed has received 7,300 complaints.
The regulator said it is investigating under Rule 2.3 of the Broadcasting Code, which states that in applying generally accepted standards broadcasters must ensure that material which may cause offence is justified by the context.
Ofcom CEO Melanie Dawes said there had been “speculation and commentary” in recent days over Ofcom’s role in the broadcasting landscape since the Tuesday broadcast but the rules “remain unchanged.”
“They are designed to protect audiences from offensive and harmful material, and to uphold the integrity of broadcast news and current affairs programming, while always ensuring that freedom of expression is front and centre in every decision we take,” she said. “This is highly valued by audiences and central to our democracy.”
Having faced pressure since Tuesday, Ofcom has reacted...
The regulator said it is investigating under Rule 2.3 of the Broadcasting Code, which states that in applying generally accepted standards broadcasters must ensure that material which may cause offence is justified by the context.
Ofcom CEO Melanie Dawes said there had been “speculation and commentary” in recent days over Ofcom’s role in the broadcasting landscape since the Tuesday broadcast but the rules “remain unchanged.”
“They are designed to protect audiences from offensive and harmful material, and to uphold the integrity of broadcast news and current affairs programming, while always ensuring that freedom of expression is front and centre in every decision we take,” she said. “This is highly valued by audiences and central to our democracy.”
Having faced pressure since Tuesday, Ofcom has reacted...
- 9/28/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
As three separate investigations involving serving politicians also acting as newsreaders are underway, Melanie Dawes, chief executive of U.K. media regulator Ofcom, has clarified the body’s position on the matter.
In an article originally published in the Telegraph and subsequently on the Ofcom website on Tuesday, Dawes wrote: “The Broadcasting Code is clear that serving politicians cannot be a newsreader, interviewer or reporter in any news program, unless there is an exceptional editorial justification. And in those exceptional cases, their political allegiance must be made clear to the audience. News programs will usually involve newsreaders directly addressing the audience, and may include reporter packages or live reports, with a mix of video and reporter items.”
Dawes added that outside of news programs, such as current affairs formats which typically feature more in-depth discussion, analysis, interviews and long-form video reports, there’s no Ofcom rule that prevents a serving...
In an article originally published in the Telegraph and subsequently on the Ofcom website on Tuesday, Dawes wrote: “The Broadcasting Code is clear that serving politicians cannot be a newsreader, interviewer or reporter in any news program, unless there is an exceptional editorial justification. And in those exceptional cases, their political allegiance must be made clear to the audience. News programs will usually involve newsreaders directly addressing the audience, and may include reporter packages or live reports, with a mix of video and reporter items.”
Dawes added that outside of news programs, such as current affairs formats which typically feature more in-depth discussion, analysis, interviews and long-form video reports, there’s no Ofcom rule that prevents a serving...
- 7/4/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
UK regulator Ofcom has launched investigations into shows hosted by politicians on Gb News and TalkTV, including one featuring a segment on Donald Trump’s civil trial.
The first investigation concerns former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation for right-leaning Gb News in which the recently-knighted Boris Johnson supporter covered a breaking news story about the verdict involving the former Potus.
State of the Nation received 40 Ofcom complaints. Both Gb News and TalkTV have of late been using politicians to host topical shows but they have consistently stayed within the realms of the regulator’s Broadcasting Code as they are allowed to interview other politicians and discuss topical issues as long as due impartiality is met. Rees-Mogg’s show may have strayed as politicians are not allowed to act as newsreaders unless under “exceptional circumstances.”
The regulator will also investigate an episode of Talk TV’s Richard Tice...
The first investigation concerns former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation for right-leaning Gb News in which the recently-knighted Boris Johnson supporter covered a breaking news story about the verdict involving the former Potus.
State of the Nation received 40 Ofcom complaints. Both Gb News and TalkTV have of late been using politicians to host topical shows but they have consistently stayed within the realms of the regulator’s Broadcasting Code as they are allowed to interview other politicians and discuss topical issues as long as due impartiality is met. Rees-Mogg’s show may have strayed as politicians are not allowed to act as newsreaders unless under “exceptional circumstances.”
The regulator will also investigate an episode of Talk TV’s Richard Tice...
- 7/3/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
ITV boss Carolyn McCall will face a grilling from the UK’s influential Culture, Media and Sport Committee (Cms) next week over the Phillip Schofield scandal.
McCall will appear on Wednesday to discuss “fundamental issues about safeguarding and complaint handling both at ITV and more widely across the media,” raised by Schofield’s exit.
McCall will appear in front of the committee one day after ITV policy boss Magnus Brooke, who will use a separate session to discuss the upcoming Media Bill, which was planned prior to Schofield’s departure and the ensuing fallout.
The CEO’s summons comes a day after ITV revealed it had hired an external lawyer to “establish the facts” over Schofield and This Morning. McCall then wrote to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Ofcom boss Melanie Dawes and Cms Committee Chair Caroline Dinenage to clarify “inaccuracy in the reporting” of the Schofield saga. Schofield departed the...
McCall will appear on Wednesday to discuss “fundamental issues about safeguarding and complaint handling both at ITV and more widely across the media,” raised by Schofield’s exit.
McCall will appear in front of the committee one day after ITV policy boss Magnus Brooke, who will use a separate session to discuss the upcoming Media Bill, which was planned prior to Schofield’s departure and the ensuing fallout.
The CEO’s summons comes a day after ITV revealed it had hired an external lawyer to “establish the facts” over Schofield and This Morning. McCall then wrote to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Ofcom boss Melanie Dawes and Cms Committee Chair Caroline Dinenage to clarify “inaccuracy in the reporting” of the Schofield saga. Schofield departed the...
- 6/1/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
ITV CEO Carolyn McCall has been called to give evidence to the Parliamentary committee for Culture, Media and Sport (Cms) over an affair between former ITV anchor Phillip Schofield and a young employee.
Caroline Dinenage, chair of the Cms Committee, requested McCall’s presence in a letter published today (June 1) in which she said Schofield’s affair – which he dramatically admitted in a statement to the Daily Mail last Saturday – raises “fundamental issues about safeguarding and complaint handling both at ITV and more widely across the media.”
On Saturday, after years of rumors, Schofield admitted to having a relationship with a young runner on “This Morning,” the show he had anchored for over twenty years. Schofield, who said the affair was “unwise but not illegal,” was immediately dropped by his agency following the admission. The anchor also parted ways with ITV.
Yesterday, McCall wrote to Dinenage, Culture secretary Lucy Frazer and Melanie Dawes,...
Caroline Dinenage, chair of the Cms Committee, requested McCall’s presence in a letter published today (June 1) in which she said Schofield’s affair – which he dramatically admitted in a statement to the Daily Mail last Saturday – raises “fundamental issues about safeguarding and complaint handling both at ITV and more widely across the media.”
On Saturday, after years of rumors, Schofield admitted to having a relationship with a young runner on “This Morning,” the show he had anchored for over twenty years. Schofield, who said the affair was “unwise but not illegal,” was immediately dropped by his agency following the admission. The anchor also parted ways with ITV.
Yesterday, McCall wrote to Dinenage, Culture secretary Lucy Frazer and Melanie Dawes,...
- 6/1/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
“Freedom of expression” will be front and center of Ofcom’s thinking when the UK regulator draws up the new code governing the streamers, according to chief Melanie Dawes.
The Ofcom boss used her appearance at yesterday’s Deloitte & Enders Media and Telecoms 2023 & Beyond Conference to allay fears that the new code, which is part of the landmark Media Bill currently making its way through parliament, will be overly stringent on the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.
One of the Media Bill’s catchier elements has been bringing the streamers in line with broadcasters in areas such as harmful content and impartiality, but Dawes stressed that the code for the streamers will be different to the one that has ruled over the linear broadcasters for decades.
“[The government] will give us a requirement to produce a code for Video on Demand and I think it will differ from the...
The Ofcom boss used her appearance at yesterday’s Deloitte & Enders Media and Telecoms 2023 & Beyond Conference to allay fears that the new code, which is part of the landmark Media Bill currently making its way through parliament, will be overly stringent on the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.
One of the Media Bill’s catchier elements has been bringing the streamers in line with broadcasters in areas such as harmful content and impartiality, but Dawes stressed that the code for the streamers will be different to the one that has ruled over the linear broadcasters for decades.
“[The government] will give us a requirement to produce a code for Video on Demand and I think it will differ from the...
- 5/19/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Good afternoon Insiders, here we are again and it’s Max Goldbart helming a busy week’s newsletter. Scroll down for the biggest news and analysis from team Deadline International, and sign up to the newsletter here.
British Broadcasting Crisis
Multiple fronts: I have been covering the BBC in depth for more than five years and never have I known it to be battling crises on so many fronts. Not content with the Gary Lineker row dominating front pages for days, the corporation has also found itself in hot water this week over local news strikes, Question Time host Fiona Bruce‘s remarks about Boris Johnson’s father, and accusations of “top-down toxicity” from its century-old choir, which is being axed. Struggling to keep track? Insider has done the legwork for you.
Lineker 1 – 0 BBC: First he was benched, then his actions were forcing the BBC into a lengthy and time-intensive...
British Broadcasting Crisis
Multiple fronts: I have been covering the BBC in depth for more than five years and never have I known it to be battling crises on so many fronts. Not content with the Gary Lineker row dominating front pages for days, the corporation has also found itself in hot water this week over local news strikes, Question Time host Fiona Bruce‘s remarks about Boris Johnson’s father, and accusations of “top-down toxicity” from its century-old choir, which is being axed. Struggling to keep track? Insider has done the legwork for you.
Lineker 1 – 0 BBC: First he was benched, then his actions were forcing the BBC into a lengthy and time-intensive...
- 3/17/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
“Ambiguity” around social media guidelines was to blame for the BBC Gary Lineker scandal, according to Ofcom boss Melanie Dawes, who was challenged on the “creeping politicization” of UK TV news during a committee hearing this morning.
Dawes, whose regulator has oversight of many elements of the BBC, said it is right that the corporation “retains responsibility for their own social media guidelines,” as the BBC prepares to launch a review into these guidelines as trade-off for Lineker returning to his Match of the Day hosting duties.
Speaking to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (Dcmsc) this morning, Dawes said there was “ambiguity” in the current guidelines that was “designed to give a degree of flexibility but didn’t achieve what the BBC wanted,” leading to the furore. Her comments came after Deadline revealed the BBC had failed to heed a recommendation three years ago that it examine rules...
Dawes, whose regulator has oversight of many elements of the BBC, said it is right that the corporation “retains responsibility for their own social media guidelines,” as the BBC prepares to launch a review into these guidelines as trade-off for Lineker returning to his Match of the Day hosting duties.
Speaking to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (Dcmsc) this morning, Dawes said there was “ambiguity” in the current guidelines that was “designed to give a degree of flexibility but didn’t achieve what the BBC wanted,” leading to the furore. Her comments came after Deadline revealed the BBC had failed to heed a recommendation three years ago that it examine rules...
- 3/14/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
U.K. media regulator Ofcom has warned the BBC over its complaints process and impartiality concerns and also launched a public consultation on a modernized version of the broadcaster’s operating licence.
Ofcom tracked audiences’ experiences and interactions with the BBC and found that while one in nine people have had a reason to complain about, most of do not actually make a complaint, because they felt it would not make a difference or be taken seriously. These concerns are nearly twice as high for the BBC than for other broadcasters, Ofcom said.
Ofcom also asked audiences about BBC news and current affairs and found that although they rate its news highly for trust and accuracy, conversely they rate it less favorably on impartiality. Ofcom is now directing the BBC to change its policy and publish sufficient reasoning in cases where it decides not to uphold due impartiality and due accuracy complaints.
Ofcom tracked audiences’ experiences and interactions with the BBC and found that while one in nine people have had a reason to complain about, most of do not actually make a complaint, because they felt it would not make a difference or be taken seriously. These concerns are nearly twice as high for the BBC than for other broadcasters, Ofcom said.
Ofcom also asked audiences about BBC news and current affairs and found that although they rate its news highly for trust and accuracy, conversely they rate it less favorably on impartiality. Ofcom is now directing the BBC to change its policy and publish sufficient reasoning in cases where it decides not to uphold due impartiality and due accuracy complaints.
- 6/22/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Update: The Russian establishment has responded to U.K. media regulator Ofcom revoking the Russian-backed Rt channel’s licence to broadcast in the country.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: “This is a continuation of the madness which is going on in America and Europe – it is anti-Russian madness. This is yet another step that crudely limits freedom of speech.”
Rt’s deputy editor-in-chief Anna Belkina said: “Ofcom has shown the U.K. public, and the regulatory community internationally, that, despite a well-constructed facade of independence, it is nothing more than a tool of government, bending to its media-suppressing will.”
“By ignoring Rt’s completely clean record of four consecutive years and stating purely political reasons tied directly to the situation in Ukraine and yet completely unassociated to Rt’s operations, structure, management or editorial output, Ofcom has falsely judged Rt to not be ‘fit and proper’ and in doing so robbed the U.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: “This is a continuation of the madness which is going on in America and Europe – it is anti-Russian madness. This is yet another step that crudely limits freedom of speech.”
Rt’s deputy editor-in-chief Anna Belkina said: “Ofcom has shown the U.K. public, and the regulatory community internationally, that, despite a well-constructed facade of independence, it is nothing more than a tool of government, bending to its media-suppressing will.”
“By ignoring Rt’s completely clean record of four consecutive years and stating purely political reasons tied directly to the situation in Ukraine and yet completely unassociated to Rt’s operations, structure, management or editorial output, Ofcom has falsely judged Rt to not be ‘fit and proper’ and in doing so robbed the U.
- 3/18/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Updated: U.K. media regulator Ofcom on Wednesday opened a further 12 investigations into the due impartiality of programs on the Russia-backed Rt news channel. This takes the total number of Rt programs under investigation to 27.
“We are very concerned by the volume of programmes on Rt that are raising potential issues under the Broadcasting Code, and as we progress our investigations we are considering whether Rt should retain a U.K. license,” Ofcom said in a statement.
Meanwhile, U.K. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has said that the channel is no longer available in the U.K.
“Rt is no longer available on British TVs. Channel is now down across Sky, Freeview and Freesat. The Russian dictator will now find it harder to spread his disinformation and lies,” Dorries tweeted.
Rt is no longer available on British TVs. Channel is now down across Sky, Freeview and Freesat. The Russian dictator...
“We are very concerned by the volume of programmes on Rt that are raising potential issues under the Broadcasting Code, and as we progress our investigations we are considering whether Rt should retain a U.K. license,” Ofcom said in a statement.
Meanwhile, U.K. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has said that the channel is no longer available in the U.K.
“Rt is no longer available on British TVs. Channel is now down across Sky, Freeview and Freesat. The Russian dictator will now find it harder to spread his disinformation and lies,” Dorries tweeted.
Rt is no longer available on British TVs. Channel is now down across Sky, Freeview and Freesat. The Russian dictator...
- 3/2/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
BBC Studios And Sky Deutschland Strike Factual Content Deal
Sky Deutschland has become the pay-tv home for BBC Studios’ factual content in Germany after striking a deal unveiled at BBC Studios Showcase this morning. The network will host more than 150 hours worth of docs including Greta Thunberg A Year to Change the World, Louis Theroux: Shooting Joe Exotic, David Attenborough: The Sound of Nature and Primates. Content can be viewed in Germany on the Sky Nature and Sky Documentaries channel, both of which launched in Germany six months ago. BBC Studios already has a co-production partnership with German network Zdf, which sees it co-produce landmark blue-chips such as forthcoming Green Planet. The Sky Deutscshland partnership was unveiled today at the second day of the BBC Studios Showcase, which is taking place virtually concurrently with the multi-distributor London Screenings.
British Regulator Ofcom Opens 15 Investigations Into Rt
British regulator Ofcom...
Sky Deutschland has become the pay-tv home for BBC Studios’ factual content in Germany after striking a deal unveiled at BBC Studios Showcase this morning. The network will host more than 150 hours worth of docs including Greta Thunberg A Year to Change the World, Louis Theroux: Shooting Joe Exotic, David Attenborough: The Sound of Nature and Primates. Content can be viewed in Germany on the Sky Nature and Sky Documentaries channel, both of which launched in Germany six months ago. BBC Studios already has a co-production partnership with German network Zdf, which sees it co-produce landmark blue-chips such as forthcoming Green Planet. The Sky Deutscshland partnership was unveiled today at the second day of the BBC Studios Showcase, which is taking place virtually concurrently with the multi-distributor London Screenings.
British Regulator Ofcom Opens 15 Investigations Into Rt
British regulator Ofcom...
- 3/1/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated:
U.K. media regulator Ofcom has responded to a request from the U.K. government to review the licence of Russia-backed news channel Rt, saying that it will take “swift action.”
Responding to U.K. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries’ letter on Wednesday, the body’s chief Melanie Dawes wrote back saying: “Recognizing the serious nature of the crisis in Ukraine, we have been keeping the situation under close review and have already stepped up our oversight of coverage of these events by broadcasters in the U.K.”
“We are expediting complaints in this area as a matter of urgency and we will not hesitate to take swift action where necessary,” Dawes said. “I am confident that we have the full range of enforcement tools at our disposal and our track record shows that when we find a breach of our rules, we can and do take action. As always...
U.K. media regulator Ofcom has responded to a request from the U.K. government to review the licence of Russia-backed news channel Rt, saying that it will take “swift action.”
Responding to U.K. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries’ letter on Wednesday, the body’s chief Melanie Dawes wrote back saying: “Recognizing the serious nature of the crisis in Ukraine, we have been keeping the situation under close review and have already stepped up our oversight of coverage of these events by broadcasters in the U.K.”
“We are expediting complaints in this area as a matter of urgency and we will not hesitate to take swift action where necessary,” Dawes said. “I am confident that we have the full range of enforcement tools at our disposal and our track record shows that when we find a breach of our rules, we can and do take action. As always...
- 2/23/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
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