Banging On…TV censor continues twice monthly rant at Bang Babes

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Based on article from ofcom.org.uk

Ofcom have found a few more examples of mild sex material to have a rant at on the various day and night time babe channels. Ofcom predictably found all the examples in breach of their code and so concluded: Ofcom is presently considering the imposition of a statutory sanction against Bang Media (London) Limited and Bang Channels Limited for material transmitted between 20 June and 25 November 2009. In light of Bang Media and Bang Channels Limiteds serious and/or repeated breaches of the Code and Condition 11 of their licences, and their continued transmission after 25 November 2009 of content which appears similar in nature to that which had already been found in breach of the Code, Ofcom issued them with a Direction on 12 March 2010. As a result of the serious and repeated nature of the breaches recorded in these current findings, and those recorded against Bang Media (London) Limited elsewhere in this Bulletin and in Bulletin 157, the Licensee is put on notice that these present contraventions of the Code are being considered for statutory sanction.

Speculation of a Scaled Down Ofcom…How should Jeremy Hunt confront Ofcom?

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See article from ofcomwatch.co.uk

Ofcom’s budget for 2010/11 is 142.5 million GBP. That compares to the legacy regulators’ combined budget of 118.3 million GBP in 2002/03. Now that’s a significant nominal increase, but perhaps a real decrease if you fully buy Ofcom’s spin. It also depends on whether you consider Ofcom’s duties to have changed much since 2002/03. My take: Ofcom still spends far too much for this digital era. The regulator has achieved some easy efficiencies but needs to make much harder choices to lower its total cost to regulated firms and the public. The grand, withering vision. After the 2005 general election Lord Currie, then chair of Ofcom gave a speech where he stated: In practice a bias against intervention means that we will try to get out of the way. I have also said that we must encourage innovation and investment in the sector, and the best way to achieve this is by being somewhere else. In essence, an effective regulator must aim to regulate itself out of a job. This withering of regulation will be seen by some as a threat. But I see it as a proper ambition. Let’s face it, Ofcom appears to have quietly abandoned its ambition. In some respects, the fault lies with Parliament, the government, regulated firms (and even the complaining public). But in many important respects, Ofcom has shown a desire to intervene even where there was no statutory duty and the evidence showed it might have very little real impact with its actions (eg, junk food advertising). …Read full article DCMS Takes a Budget Cut Based on article from 38minutes.ning.com Broadcast magazine writes that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is to have its budget trimmed by £88m and Ofcom is preparing to have its powers reigned in under the new coalition government’s public spending cuts. Ofcom is bracing itself for a significant reduction in its powers. Officials are still waiting to hear how the details of the cuts will impact them, but are expecting some of its current responsibilities to be brought into central government in line with the Tories’ pre-election pledge. Insiders do not expect the body to be scrapped altogether.