Regulation of the Media Sector

Regulatory and professional bodies:

British Video Association is a video home entertainment organisation established in 1980 and it provides people with information about all things TV and film based. Things such as what films are coming out in the near future, what DVD's are being released, TV programmes being aired and reviews and ratings on their films/programmes. They also allow you to rent DVD's off their website.

Film Distributors Association is a website which gives a guide to uk film distribution, marketing and cinema releases.

Video Standards Council (VSC) is a non-profit making body set up to develop and oversee a code of practice designed to promote high standards within the video industry.

Trading Standards Institute is the professional association which represents trading standards professionals in the UK and overseas.

Press Complaints Commission (PCC) is a website which deals with complaints, framed within the terms of the Editors' Code of Practice, about the content of newspapers and magazines (and their websites, including editorial audio-visual material) and the conduct of journalists.

Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the UK's independent regulator of advertising across all media.

The Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF) is the global community for mobile content and commerce. It is the leading trade organisation for companies wishing to monetize their goods, services and digital products via the mobile connected device.

The Independent Games Developers Association (IGDA) is the trade association representing the UK's games industry

British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is an independent charity supporting, developing and promoting the art forms of the moving image in the UK.

Commercial Radio Companies Association (CRCA) is the trade body for commercial radio companies in the United Kingdom. (Now known as the Radio Academy).

The International Visual Communication Association (IVCA) is a professional body which represents its members to Government and other stakeholding bodies and to promote effective business and public service communications of the highest ethical and professional standards.

Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international community where member organizations, full-time staff, and the public work together to develop web standards.

British Web Design and Marketing Association is a website/company who design websites for their customers.

British Interactive Multimedia Association (BIMA) is an industry body representing the digital industry in the United Kingdom, BIMA is a membership organisation primarily made up of digital agencies.

Regulatory issues:

Ownership - Regulatory bodies have rules that stop the "big companies" from owning everything in the media and becoming too big. I think this is good because it stops the large media companies from owning everything and becoming too powerful and spreading their influence through every area of the media, corruption in the media could be a result of some companies being too big and this prevents that from happening

Monopoly - Because unregulated monopolies seek to maximize profits, output is restricted so that price is set higher than what everyone can afford
Consumer Choice - Ofcom say that BBC (which is payed for by the British community) have to have channels and radio stations that cater for everyone's needs within the UK, e.g. sports channels/stations have to be there for sports fans, also the UK has to have stations/channels for the foreign residents of the UK who pay the license fee. I think this is fair because we have to pay the license fee just to watch TV and it's not fair if you pay the license fee but there's nothing on the BBC channels/stations that interests you.

Freedom of Information - Freedom of information legislation comprises laws that guarantee access to data held by the state. They establish a "right-to-know" legal process by which requests may be made for government-held information, to be received freely or at minimal cost, barring standard exceptions

Censorship - Censorship says what can't be seen on the internet and other types of media and is used to prevent secret and maybe harmful information from being released to the public. Censorship is different in all countries.

Taste and Decency - The Code states that marketing communications should not cause serious or widespread offence and identifies particular areas as requiring special sensitivity. It also states that marketing communications will be judged on where and when they appeared, who they were likely to be seen by, the product being advertised and the prevailing standards of decency. The Code acknowledges that marcoms might be distasteful without necessarily causing serious or widespread offence.