Ofcom filed an amusing if not typical response to an FOI Act request this summer. When the regulator was asked to provide a organisational chart for its legal team, Ofcom could only provide two names and job titles. The remainder? Confidential! Ofcom says the remaining names are personal information and exempt from disclosure under Section [...]
The always excellent Grant Goddard has written a blog post on the publication of Ofcom’s first Digital Radio Progress Report in July 2010, entitled ‘Lies, damned lies and … Ofcom’s first digital radio progress report’. Goddard questions just whether our ‘evidence-based regulator’ is actually just choosing the ‘evidence’ that supports it and the government’s policies [...]
A friend of mine often says that, in Europe, food is the new tobacco (in policy terms). Thus, I thought it was interesting news that the UK Department of Health may abolish the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
Ofcom watchers (both of you) may recall that Ofcom interlinks with the FSA in one very important way: The [...]
Folks, as our society slowly goes broke and the only thing we have to cling to is our television, it should strike fear in our hearts anytime a regulator such as Ofcom attempts to limit how much advertising we are exposed to. Anyway, Ofcom has just gone forth and ruined all the fun in television:
‘A [...]
News from a week or so ago… (sorry, I was on the road)
Respond online to Ofcom’s consultation: here.
The Ofcom press release:
A proposed code of practice which implements legislative measures aimed at reducing online copyright infringement has today been published by Ofcom, as part of its new duties under the Digital Economy Act [...]
So we have received official notice that Jeremy Hunt is now the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport. Congratulations! (Chris Marsden notes Vince Cable / broadband here). It will definitely be interesting to see how media and communications policy and regulation — for so long dominated by Labour (and sometimes European) people and [...]
Congratulations to Ofcom’s Chinyelu Onwurah who won the Newcastle Central seat for Labour last night.
She’s now joined the only organisation in the UK with better travel and entertainment perks than Ofcom!
You’ve got to hand it to Ofcom CEO Ed Richards and chair Colette Bowe. Last week was probably the best week of PR Ofcom has enjoyed since it commenced operations in late 2003:
29 March – Ofcom gets tough on internet suppliers over broadband speed claims
31 March – In praise of … Ofcom
31 March – Ofcom [...]
Probably not … but I thought the Heathrow runway judicial opinion released today (here) was somewhat relevant. (Probably more relevant is the 2007 Greenpeace judicial opinion related to the nuclear power consultation). Basically, the question is whether a UK policy maker has properly consulted the public.
Personally, I think Ofcom gave the public ample notice about [...]
ITV fired this little shot at Ofcom and the Labour government in its annual report released earlier today:
Finally, despite successive reviews by the Government and Ofcom, ITV remains one of Britain’s most heavily regulated businesses. Consequently our freedom to operate is severely limited, in particular compared to our new media competitors. The adverse impact on [...]
What does Ofcom have in common with NASA?:
A. Employ rocket scientists
B. Engage in secret, freaky experimentation on human subjects
C. Faked moon landings…
If you answered “B” treat yourself to a caramel frappuccino — it was the best answer, albeit not the entirely correct answer. Ofcom is getting all evidence-based lately and has embraced a more [...]
A hearty cyber-welcome to the latest addition to the Ofcom-watching blogosphere: the Babe and Adult Channel Viewers Association. Their mission statement:
The Babe and Adult Channel Viewers Association (BACVA) has been set up to monitor Ofcom’s treatment and dealings with Sky Digital’s adult programming – specifically the live babeshows situated in the adult section of the [...]
I call this one Not Precious:
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