(08-07-2012 18:55 )munch1917 Wrote: (08-07-2012 17:56 )Scottishbloke Wrote: ...
Ofcom can and will close down any Adult Channel they see fit without warning or notice, they will issue fines and sanctions for the channels also without warning or any notice given
...
I'm certainly not as familiar with the intricacies of Ofcoms rules and regulations as some on this forum, but I'm pretty sure that statement is untrue.
One thing that a happens is that Ofcom will refer to a few isolated complaints over the past 2 or 3 years as a history of repeated contravention and use that as justifaction for a fine.
By contrast the BBC and Channel 4 feature every few months with daytime swearing, other broadcasters every now and then with unacceptable levels of daytime violence, yet they rarely attract more than a tut.
Its even worse when it comes to some of the religious channels, a few of which have been known to issue what look like calls to violence against other branches or other religions.
Here are a few recent examples of double standards. Storm commits a first offence, accepts it made a mistake, and gets warned a second could lead to a fine, an ethnic channel broadcasts blatant political bias - subverting the democratic process - and it takes 4 offences and an absence of contrition to get a warning that a 5th offence might lead to a fine.
Broadcast Bulletin 202 (19 March 2012)
Quote:Storm Night Storm, 9 December 2011, 23:30
...
Ofcom noted that this was the first breach of this nature on this channel. However, the Licensee is put on notice that any future beaches of this nature may lead to Ofcom considering further regulatory action.
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binarie...obb202.pdf
First offence and Storm are warned that a second offence could go straight to a fine: harsh.
Compare this with the treatment of Channel S News, a channel aimed at the Bangladeshi community in the UK and Europe:
Bulletin 208: A report described the Tower Hamlets Mayors Budget in glowing terms with no balance from Labour or Conservative opponents. (
"The council is notable in that its executive function is controlled by a directly elected mayor of Tower Hamlets, currently Lutfur Rahman, who was elected to this role in October 2010 as an independent candidate. He had previously been deselected as the official Labour Party candidate in the election to be directly elected mayor, and in that election beat the official Labour Party candidate.").
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binarie...obb208.pdf
The allegation is basically blantant political bias. Channel S denied that Tower Hamlets is a political organisation and claimed it would have reported opposing press conferences - unlike most broadcasters who make the effort to invite political opponents views and give equal air time.
This was the 4th complaint upheld against the channel, previous ones recorded in bulletins 177 (7 March 2011, bias during election of Tower Hamlets mayor), 188 (22 Aug 2011, biased reporting of Ken Livingston speech) and 203 (2 April 2012, bias favourable towards a candidate for UK President of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party).