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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Ofcom has today set out
<span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)"><a href="http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/general-procedures/statement/?utm_source=updates&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sanctionprocedures" target="_blank">General procedures for investigating breaches of broadcast licences</a></span>,
following consultation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">As a requirement of broadcasters’ licences, they must comply with a number of licence conditions. Ofcom will launch an investigation if it considers that there may have been
a breach of any of those conditions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Ofcom already has in place the following published procedures for the assessment and investigation of compliance with specific licence conditions:
</span></p>
<ul><li><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol"><span><span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><a href="http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/guidance/complaints-sanctions/standards/" target="_blank">the Procedures for investigating breaches of content standards for television
and radio</a>;<br><br></span></li><li><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol"><span><span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><a href="http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/guidance/complaints-sanctions/fairness/" target="_blank">the Procedures for the consideration and adjudication of Fairness & Privacy
complaints</a>; and<br><br></span></li><li><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol"><span><span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><a href="http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/draft-enforcement-guidelines/enforcement-guidelines/" target="_blank">the Enforcement Guidelines, Ofcom’s guidelines for the handling
of competition complaints and complaints concerning regulatory rules</a> relating to fair and effective competition in the provision of broadcast services.</span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">There have previously been no published procedures to cover how Ofcom investigates potential breaches of other licence conditions. In such cases, Ofcom has notified broadcasters
directly of how it would conduct each investigation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">To ensure its processes are as transparent, effective, fair and efficient as possible, Ofcom has published General procedures for investigating breaches of broadcast licences.
These will sit alongside the other existing procedures set out above, which remain in force.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Under the General Procedures, Ofcom:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""></span></p>
<ul><li><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol"><span><span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">has introduced a new initial assessment stage following a complaint;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol"><span><span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">will publish a complaints list of cases that have been assessed but not pursued in an investigation;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol"><span><span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">will publish a list of new investigations;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol"><span><span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">will publish details about decisions following investigations;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol"><span><span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">will standardise the time for broadcasters to provide recordings to five working days; and</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol"><span><span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">will introduce key performance indicators for meeting assessment of complaints (15 working days) and completion of investigations (50 working days).</span></li>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The General Procedures come into force today.</span>
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<p class="MsoNormal">\\</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">Community Media Association</p><p class="MsoNormal">-- <br><a href="http://www.commedia.org.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.commedia.org.uk/</a><br>
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