Ofcom Regulations

 

 Office of Communications (Ofcom) 

The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom. Ofcom has wide-ranging powers across the television, radio, telecoms and postal sectors. 

Ofcom's role is The regulator's job is to protect people from telecoms scams and sharp practices, while ensuring that competition can thrive OFCOM is the regulator for telecommunications services in the UK and seeks to protect the British public from scams and sharp practices, while ensuring that competition can thrive.

How does Ofcom regulate the BBC?

• Proceed from our principal duty – as with all our work, our principal objective is to further the interests of citizens and consumers;
• Recognise that the BBC is the cornerstone of public service broadcasting in the UK – the BBC has a special status, but we won’t give it special treatment;
• Recognise that responsibility for governance lies with the new BBC Board – it is for the BBC Board, rather than Ofcom, to determine how to deliver the mission and purposes defined in the Charter. The Board must set the BBC’s editorial guidelines. We will hold the BBC to account;
• Make good use of our depth of knowledge and experience – we have experience of regulating the broadcasting sector, as well as existing roles in relation to the BBC in the key areas of content standards, competition and performance;
• Consult widely – ensure the views of citizens, consumers and stakeholders feed into our work; and
• Be clear about our expectations and requirements of the BBC – provide clarity on how we will address issues if things go wrong, to provide certainty to the BBC, its audiences and the wider sector.