Regulatory Bodies

Press Complaints Commission (PCC) -

The PCC is an independent self-regulatory body which deals with complaints about the
editorial content of newspapers and magazines. They keep industry standards high by training
journalists and editors, and work pro-actively behind the scenes to prevent harassment and
media intrusion. The PCC is an organisation created to manage the press. They control a set of rules which the press must follow, if they press do not follow these rules there are consequences.
The PCC deals with all editorially-controlled material in UK newspapers and magazines, and their websites. This can include:

• Articles and pictures
• Words, pictures, audio materials and videos on  newspapers and magazine websites
• Readers' letters
• Edited or moderated reader comments on newspaper and magazines

They also deal with the physical behaviour of journalists, which include:

• Persistent pirsuit of individuals
• Refusing requests to stop taking photos or asking questions
• Using hidden cameras to obtain material
• Failing to be sensitive when dealing with cases involving greif
• Falling to obtain the proper consent bedore speaking before speaking to children or people in hospital

OFCOM -

The offive of communitation, known best as Ofcom is a government apporved regulatory body that monitors the eithics and practises of the broadcasting, postal services and telecommunication industy and also the airwaves wireless devices operate. Ofcom protects and manages what goes on television, radio, telecommunications, wireless communications and protection law. Complaints can be made online on Ofcoms' website. They suggest that a complaint is made within 20 days of the broadcast, and then if Ofcom decides an organisation or source of media has breached the provisions of the Broadcasting Code, they will consider an investigation. Depending on the severity of the misconduct they may decide to issue a statutory sanction against the broadcaster "Procedures for the consideration of statutory sanctions in breaches of broadcast licenses" will apply. They also have the ability and financial resources to fine you in a court of law for not adhering to the content standards or any breaches of The Broadcasting Act of 1990.  A final adjudication will be published by Ofcom which will decide if Ofcom will give a statutory sanction to the broadcaster.
 

Advertising Standard Authority (ASA) -

 
The ASA is a self-regulating body which monitor the distribution of advertisements across the UK. They regulate every form of advertisments ranging from physical billboards to online ads on the internet. The purpose of  ASA is to try to keep advertisements within the UK professional and refrain advertisers causing potential harm to the public. They take thousands of complaints a year for a reasons. They normally deal with;

• potentially harmful material
• obscene or material
• misleading information or false advertising

Deciding whether an advertisement is harmful is normally done through the UK advertising codes. The ASA mornally refer to these when dealing with a case or compliant. If the advertiser is breaching the code then they will be forced to withdraw the product.

 

PRS for Music -

The Performing Rights Society was founded in 1914 for collecting fees for live performances from sheet music. In 1997, the Performing Rights Society formed with the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society to form the MCPS-PRS Alliance. In 2009, they adopted the name "PRS for Music," as it is now formally known. The Performing Rights Society regulates copyrighted music making it so that if music is played, the relevant artist will get paid royalties. To play the music on a TV show, for example, you must have a licence from them. Here are actual legal cases that are to do with PRS.

In 2007, PRS for Music took a Scottish car servicing company to court because the employees were allegedly "listening to the radio at work, allowing the music to be 'heard by colleagues and customers.'" In June 2008, PRS for Music accused 11 police stations, of failure to obtain permits to play music, and sought an injunction and payments for damages.

So when their rights have been broken, they tend to take the case to court and sue.

British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) -

The British Board of Film Classification regulates movies. This means that when films are made the BBFC watch them and then decide whether the film is appropriate for certain ages, this is all the certificates that were changed and released in 2002.
The way that the BBFC works, is that they have to take into consideration of;

• Drug content
• Sex content
• Horror
• The language that is used
• Nudity
• Voilence

and then catogoise the film into the age group that it is suitable for.