Ofcom Discussion

This is something I've commented on a few times in the past. And each time I ask the same question: If you are the owner of a babe channel, why would you bother rocking the boat?

So long as (a) everybody plays by the same rules; and (b) you're making money, there's no reason whatsoever to upset the applecart. In fact, there's probably good reason not to.

The UK market - to a certain degree - operates in isolation to continental Europe, and for as long as you can only offer 'tame' content, you're probably safe from competition from the big European porn-houses. As soon as 'anything goes', you're likely to face a stream of new competitor channels applying for UK licences, knowing that their harder content won't fall foul of the regulator.

Better if everyone plays by the rules, keeps their mouths shut, and counts the money.

Ask youself: why is it that the no. 1 complainant about babe channel content is other babe channels? The answer is because it's in everyone's interest to make sure everybody keeps it tame. And that's why there's no realistic prospect of changes any time soon.

To be honest with Sootbag i can see your point, i think the issue we all have is why in the first place did we have such great free to air channels over the past 10yrs or so, only to be taken away by Ofcom? and when something is suddenly taken away, none of us like it.
I do think the tide will turn in our favour, once Ofcom pisses off, how long that will be is anyones guess, lets just hope the government cuts there bloody funding, that would do for start.

(08-11-2011 21:55 )Sootbag1 Wrote:  This is something I've commented on a few times in the past. And each time I ask the same question: If you are the owner of a babe channel, why would you bother rocking the boat?

Try this: If you are owner of a chain of sex shops/publish porn mags/have an online porn business why would you bother rocking the TV boat?

(08-11-2011 22:50 )eccles Wrote:  

(08-11-2011 21:55 )Sootbag1 Wrote:  This is something I've commented on a few times in the past. And each time I ask the same question: If you are the owner of a babe channel, why would you bother rocking the boat?

Try this: If you are owner of a chain of sex shops/publish porn mags/have an online porn business why would you bother rocking the TV boat?

only if it was affecting buisiness,which by the look of it is,babestation is short of girls ,elite has been finishing early a certain channel has dropped d 2 of its channels simply because the revenue of callers has dropped because the shows are so tame,the foreign channels adopted the stance that the girls would get more explicit when they were on the line to a punter at the end of the call they will put on the majority of their attire until the next call ,here its as you were which makes it so bloody boring,i stopped calling in over 6 months ago simply because the call didnt match what i was seeing on the screen ,you may as well shut your eyes and imagine it than look what the girl is doing ,if it does carry on where as they are not getting to fill their boots with your cash whats the betting they start to improve? ofcom this and that makes no difference to them ,if they aint making money they will do some thing about it

(08-11-2011 21:55 )Sootbag1 Wrote:  This is something I've commented on a few times in the past. And each time I ask the same question: If you are the owner of a babe channel, why would you bother rocking the boat?

I've been saying this for ages. In fact, it was the basis behind my much derided thread, "Are the fanboys to blame for the current state of the channels?"

(09-11-2011 18:39 )StanTheMan Wrote:  I'm not quite sure what you're suggesting, shylok, but if it's what I think, then it's been explained countless times that so long as you're broadcasting on UK tv, it doesn't make a blind bit of difference where your license is held, you still have to adhere to Ofcom reg.

Thanks for the reply. So even if say a company rents a transponder on Astra 28E in another country (FTA not via sky EPG) do they still have to tip the hat to OFCOM rules?

(09-11-2011 18:43 )shylok Wrote:  Thanks for the reply. So even if say a company rents a transponder on Astra 28E in another country (FTA not on via sky EPG) do they still have to tip the hat to OFCOM rules?

Ah, well that's different. I thought you meant for them to simply obtain their license from Holland, as Babestation do.

As for broadcasting fta, but not on the EPG, you'll have to wait for someone with far more knowledge than I to come along and answer that. It's certainly an interesting one, though.

(09-11-2011 18:39 )StanTheMan Wrote:  

(09-11-2011 18:36 )shylok Wrote:  This must beg the question why Playboy etc (who I understand have foreign licences at their disposal) don't get 'more inventive'. I still don't know why channels don't take more advantage of the 'lighter touch' regulation in some countries like Holland.

I'm not quite sure what you're suggesting, shylok, but if it's what I think, then it's been explained countless times that so long as you're broadcasting on UK tv, it doesn't make a blind bit of difference where your license is held, you still have to adhere to Ofcom reg.

It makes a hell of a lot of difference if you don't have a Ofcom licence , even if you have to adhere to the same regs Ofcom can't give you a 110k fine , Ofcom can't hand out fines to channels that don't use their licence . Put it this way if Playboy used one of their European licence's to broadcast on UK tv in the same way that BS uses the Dutch licence then they wouldn't be paying a 110k fine to Ofcom .

(09-11-2011 18:46 )mr mystery Wrote:  It makes a hell of a lot of difference if you don't have a Ofcom licence , even if you have to adhere to the same regs Ofcom can't give you a 110k fine , Ofcom can't hand out fines to channels that don't use their licence .

But that doesn't make much sense. If a channel with a foreign license can't be fined by Ofcom, why would they need to bother adhering to their regs?

(09-11-2011 18:45 )StanTheMan Wrote:  

(09-11-2011 18:43 )shylok Wrote:  Thanks for the reply. So even if say a company rents a transponder on Astra 28E in another country (FTA not on via sky EPG) do they still have to tip the hat to OFCOM rules?

Ah, well that's different. I thought you meant for them to simply obtain their license from Holland, as Babestation do.

As for broadcasting fta, but not on the EPG, you'll have to wait for someone with far more knowledge than I to come along and answer that. It's certainly an interesting one, though.

Yeah I was wondering a) if they could have avoided the fine and b) if they don't use sky at all and go FTA (on 28E like Sky does) that would get them more of a chance - to do business without the cancer of OFCOM on their case.