Regulatory and professional bodies within the Creative Media Sector

Name: Megan Hughes

Unit 2 Task 1 Be able to extract information from written sourcesUnit 7 Task 3 Understanding the regulation of the media sector

Task 1: Be able to extract information from written sources

Be able to extract information from written sources

Written sources: e.g. books, journals, websites, magazines, newspapers, hand-outs

Reading: with concentration; skim-reading: scanning; using index; using word search; using phrase search

Extract information: e.g. write notes, summarise, highlight text, annotate document, underline passages,

British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)

The British Board of Film Classification is a non-governmental body which has classified many cinema films since it was set up in 1912. Also, it has classified many videos and DVDs since the Video Recordings Act was passed in 1984.

The BBFC use the Obscene Publications Act 1959 which governs what can be published within England and Wales to ensure it’s suitable for the viewers to see. The Racial Relations act 1976 is another one which is used to stop racial discrimination being used in relation to people that are of different racial groups.

They grade films in PG, U, 12, 12A, 15, 18, R18 to make sure they are targeting films at the correct age group and they’re fully suitable and convenient to show.

BBFC Website.

Legislations.co.uk.

British Video Association

The BVA was established in 1980 to represent the interests of publishers and rights owners of pre-recorded video entertainment. They say video entertainment is critical for the cultural and economic success of the UK's audio-visual sector and, in a world of evolving technology and new opportunities, the British Video Association's primary objective is to help maintain a business environment with the least regulatory burdens and optimal conditions that enables video's crucial role in the audio-visual eco-system to continue over years.

Also, he BVA's members account for 90% of this £2 billion+ industry and include film and television companies and independent labels which produce a variety of: license and distribute film, sport and fitness, music video, TV, children's and special interest programming. This way they represent the industry’s interests collectively to: the public, the media, Government and other industry organisations.

BVA.org.uk

Film Distributors Association

Film Distributors' Association (FDA) is the trade body for theatrical film distributors in the UK - the companies that release films for UK  cinema audiences.Originally established in London in 1915, FDA works with many individuals, companies and organisations such as the BVA and BBFC. FDA's board company normally meet six times a year and consider only matters of generic interest to film distributors. FDA is a founder member of All Industry Marketing for Cinema (AIM) which is a generic marketing body which works to increase and broaden the UK cinema audience across the board.The FDA say film is an influential, dynamic part of the UK's creative economy and they’re engaged in the industry's on-going efforts to combat film piracy and theft. They’re a member of the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) and the Alliance Against IP Theft.

The FDA are also represented on the British Screen Advisory Council (BSAC) which is a forum for the discussion of policy issues affecting the audio-visual industries.

FDA is a substantial supporter of the UK film industry - geared mainly towards the next generation of filmmakers and audiences.

Launchingfilms.com/about-us

Video Standards Council (VSC)

The VSC company was established in 1989 and fulfils two basic roles:•It is a standards body for the video and video games industries and has a Code of Practice designed to ensure that both industries show a duty of care in their dealings with customers and the public generally. It provides its retailer members with a staff training course dealing with age restricted videos, DVDs and video games. •It acts as an administrator of the PEGI system of age rating for video games. PEGI (Pan European Game Information) is used in over 30 countries. It is the UK regulator responsible for the age rating of video games supplied in the UK. In fulfilling this role it uses the name Games Rating Authority (GRA) to ensure the right content of video and video gaming is shown out of respect to the correct set of viewers.

Videostandards.org.uk

Office for Communication (Ofcom)

Ofcom is the communications regulator in the UK.

They regulate the TV and radio sectors, fixed line telecoms, mobiles, postal services, plus the airwaves over which wireless devices operate and also, they make sure that people in the UK get the best from their communications services and are protected from scams and sharp practices, while ensuring that competition can thrive.

Ofcom operates under a number of Acts of Parliament, including in particular the Communications Act 2003. Ofcom must act within the powers and duties set for it by Parliament in legislation.

The Communications Act says that Ofcom’s principal duty is to further the interests of citizens and of consumers, where appropriate by promoting competition. Accountable to Parliament, they set and enforce regulatory rules for the sectors for which we have responsibility. We also have powers to enforce competition law in those sectors, alongside the Competition and Markets Authority.

Ofcom is funded by fees from industry for regulating broadcasting and communications networks, and grant-in-aid from the Government.

Ofcom.org.uk

Trading Standards Central

This legislation was introduced to ensure that the standards of the item that you are trading has to be what you describe it as. Before exchanging money for goods, you should always allow yourself to consider what you’re buying and whether you trust the seller. For example, if the item someone is selling you is faulty, they must say that, by law, before exchanging the item for money. In the media industry, scenarios like this usually happen with DVDs and video games: You think someone is doing a fair trade without knowing the item you’ve bought is dodgy until you get home when you can’t do anything about it.

It’s illegal to copy and sell on DVDs as it is an offence under the Trade Marks Act 1994 and the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988. A man named Mohammed Waheed was sentenced to 9 months imprisonment after over 5000 discs of ‘fake DVDs’ were seized from his store and he pleaded guilty to selling them slyly behind the counter. The total cost he had to pay due to his actions was £8266.

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/extra/news-item.cfm/newsid/1391

Press ComplaintsCommission (PCC)

The PCC is an independent body which administers the system of self-regulation for the press. It does this by dealing with all the complaints that are framed within the terms of the Editors' ‘Code of Practice’ about the editorial content of newspapers, magazines and their websites (including editorial audio-visual material). The same applies to the conduct of journalists. As well as this, it can also assist individuals by representing their interests to editors in advance of an article about them being published.

The PCC has initially been closed down since 8th September 2014 and is now inactive due to complaints within the Phone Hacking Scandal. For the mean, time as a substitution, the Independent Press Standards Organisation has been provided for the public to make complaints.

http://www.pcc.org.uk/about/index.html

http://www.pcc.org.uk/contact/index.html

Advertising Standards Authority(ASA).

The Advertising Standards Authority is the UK’s independent regulator of advertising across all media. They apply the Advertising Codes, which are written by the Committees of Advertising Practice. There work includes acting on complaints and proactively checking the media to take action against misleading, harmful or offensive advertisements. ASA’s purpose is to make advertisements responsible and our ambition is to make every UK ad a responsible ad.

Last year the ASA dealt with 31,136 complaints and thoroughly assessed every one of those concerns and investigated ads that seemed to breach the rules. As a result, nearly 4,161 ads were changed or withdrawn in 2013.

http://www.asa.org.uk/About-ASA.aspx