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On 10 January 2023, Ofcom published a call for evidence regarding matters anticipated to be included in their second consultation, scheduled for publication in autumn 2023 on the topic of the protection of children from legal content that is harmful to them. As part of Ofcom’s future role set out by the Online Safety Bill – still at report stage in the House of Commons at the moment of launching the call for evidence – as online safety regulator, Ofcom will publish codes of practice setting out the measures that platforms can take to protect children online and guidance regarding...

Ofcom has determined that Glastonbury Festival's onsite radio station Worthy FM 87.7 (Worthy FM) breached Rules 1.14, 1.16 and 2.3 of the Broadcasting Code by playing records that contained offensive language, at a time likely to be heard by children, even if relatively low in numbers. Worthy FM is a radio station that plays music during the duration of the Glastonbury music festival. The main audience are festival goers but the programming is transmitted in the county of Somerset where Glastonbury is located. Worthy FM has a Restricted Service Licence (RSL) granted by Ofcom and the licensee...

In December 2022, Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, published research into what viewers think and how they feel about commercial references in and around TV programmes. This is the first time in over 15 years that the regulator has carried out extensive research in this area. The findings are intended to inform its current guidance to the rules on content regulation. What is a commercial reference? All broadcast TV content comprises programming and advertising. In addition to income from adverts in commercial breaks, broadcasters generate revenue from references to products,...

Ofcom has issued an opinion concerning a BBC News online article published on the 2 December 2021 about an antisemitic attack on Jewish students. The article was considered not to have observed due accuracy and impartiality with the consequence of being in breach of the BBC’s Editorial’s Guidelines. Additionally, Ofcom investigated a news broadcast on the BBC concerning the same attack and this was found not to have breached Rule 5.1 (due accuracy and impartiality) and 5.2 (correcting significant mistakes quickly) of the Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code. On the 29 November 2021 a...

Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, published its first report on video-sharing platforms (VSPs) since becoming the statutory regulator for such platforms established in the UK. This is the first of its kind under the VSP regime and reveals information previously unpublished by in-scope regulated companies. - Platforms’ compliance with the new VSP regime Ofcom’s report outlines the regulator’s key outcomes from the first year of regulation (October 2021 to October 2022). Its findings stem from the use of the regulator’s statutory powers under section 368Z10(3)...