1. Section B

2. One question is to be answered from a choice of six topic areas offered by OCR. There will be two questions from each topic area. The topic areas require an understanding of contemporary media texts, industries, audiences and debates.

3. Contemporary media regulation We are going to be studying contemporary media regulation. This section requires case studies, theories, debates and issues, providing they relate to the four prompts for the topic area selected..

4. Topic areas What is the nature of contemporary media regulation compared with previous practices? What are the arguments for and against specific forms of contemporary media regulation? How effective are regulatory practices? What are the wider social issues relating to media regulation? You might explore combinations of: Film censorship, the regulation of advertising, the Press and regulation/contemporary broadcasting and political control, the effects debate and alternative theories of audience, children and television, violence and the media or a range of other study contexts relating to the regulation of contemporary media.

5. Case Studies.

6. What is the nature of contemporary media regulation compared with previous practices? What is regulation? How has regulation changed? How does regulation differ in the different mediums?

7. Big question Big question or stretch question: What impact has the internet and web 2.0 had on regulation? Support: What is web 2.0 (remember year 1)

8. Historically, from the 1909 Cinematograph Act onwards, censorship in the UK has been medium specific. The internet and new media has changed that. Harder to regulate the internet – global nature etc. – Differences in US and UK law regarding ‘impartiality’. – In Sweden it’s not an offence to possess what in the UK would be deemed unlawful pornography. Further, Sweden has different copyright laws which makes downloading legal

9. Regulation: Discussion point In looking at what regulation means, we have to ask ourselves, what do we regulate? From whom do we regulate and should regulation be self-regulated in a democratic society ? Is regulation the same as censorship?

10. Before Ofcom, all UK media was regulated by; – ITC – Independent Television Commission. – OfTel – Telecommunications Regulator. – BSC – Broadcasting Standards Commission. – RA – Radio Authority. – OFT – Office of Fair Trading. – BBFC – British Board of Film Classification. – BBC – British Broadcasting Corporation. – PCC –Press Complaints Commision

11. OFCOM 2003 On 29 December 2003, Ofcom inherited the duties that had previously been the responsibility of five regulatory bodies: the Broadcasting Standards Commission, the Independent Television Commission the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) the Radio Authority, and the Radio communications Agency.

12. OFCOM today The key point about OFCOM is unlike the PCC or the BBFC which is self regulating, OFCOM has a statuary duty set down by parliament and law to regulate the industry. It regulates complaints about TV programs It regulates all television, including advertising although specific advertising complaints must still be made to the ASA. It even regulates the post office

13. The Broadcasting Standards Commission (later replaced by Ofcom) even rated swear words in 2002; 1. C**t 11. Shag.21. Bugger. 2. Motherf****r 12. Whore.22. Balls. 3. F**k 13. Twat.23. Jew. 4. W****r 14. Piss Off.24. Sodding. 5. N****r 15. Spastic.25. Jesus Christ. 6. Bastard16. Slag.26. Crap. 7. Prick 17. S**t.27. Bloody. 8. Bollocks 18. Dickhead.28. God. 9. A***hole 19. P****d Off. 10. P**i 20. Arse.

14. OFCOM: what they do? Ofcom is funded by fees from industry for regulating broadcasting and communications networks, and grant-in-aid from the Government. What they do Our main legal duties are to ensure: the UK has a wide range of electronic communications services, including high- speed services such as broadband; a wide range of high-quality television and radio programmes are provided, appealing to a range of tastes and interests; television and radio services are provided by a range of different organisations; people who watch television and listen to the radio are protected from harmful or offensive material; people are protected from being treated unfairly in television and radio programmes, and from having their privacy invaded; and the radio spectrum (the airwaves used by everyone from taxi firms and boat owners, to mobile-phone companies and broadcasters) is used in the most effective way

15. What they do not do We are not responsible for regulating: disputes between you and your telecoms provider; premium-rate services, including mobile-phone text services and ringtones; the content of television and radio adverts; complaints about accuracy in BBC programmes; the BBC TV licence fee; or newspapers and magazines.

16. Regulation in the UK Press and television and even cinema regulated by the BBFC have very different histories. The press since its existence has always held an important perceived position that it belongs to the fourth estate that it needs to be free to enquire and to be regulated by government would mean it could not do its job properly. Cinema and television have since its inception be deemed to be something that could and should be regulated although in different ways. Until recently with the emergence of the PCC, and the Human Rights Act the press in the UK could do what they wanted because there was no written constitution or laws governing privacy, the media could until recently act unchecked and pretty much unregulated accept for acceptations to this rule.

17. Tasks Each group will research regulation in the different mediums/ industries and also research how it has changed. Each question has to be researched to show the development of regulation in that medium, this can be the form of censorship i.e. something which was once Taboo now isn't. 1. What is the history of television and regulation in the UK 2. What is the history of cinema and regulation in the UK 3. What is the history of the press and regulation the UK 4. What is the history of the internet make cross cultural comparison i.e. China’s regulation of the internet and its attempts to regulate. An example would be Google and China. 5. Stretch question: How does the regulation of your medium differ to other countries.

18. OFCOM case studies OFCOM and SKY and SKY news merger Children licencing and OFCOM Product placement tv 9pm watershed Jade Goody - channel 4 - Big Brother-channel 4 has Channel 4 moved towards self censorship -Jonathan Ross and Russel Brand Stretch questions: Jan Moir and Steven Gately – how OFCOM is different to PCC http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital- media/7859113/Ofcom-opens-the-door-to-product-placement-on-UK-television.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital- media/7859113/Ofcom-opens-the-door-to-product-placement-on-UK-television.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul/21/childrens-television-uk-produced-spending-ofcom http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/2007/10/19/ofcom-where-does-it-stand-on-internet-regulation/ http://www.ofcomwatch.co.uk/2004/03/ofcom-and-pcc-look-to-tackle-media/ http://www.inbrief.co.uk/media-law/media-regulation.htm http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2003/jun/10/pressandpublishing.privacy http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/feb/21/ofcom-press-freedom http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6166814.stm http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/news/a187820/tories-promise-change-in-tv-regulation.html http://wotsat.techradar.com/news/sky-news-corp-merger-sent-ofcom-investigation-04-11-10 http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/mar/31/ofcom-sky-sports-price-cut http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/mar/03/bskyb-news-corp-merger-timeline?CMP=twt_fd http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/oct/22/ofcom-childrens-tv-product-placement-ban http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/13/ofcom.television

19. Cinema regulation Attitudes to censorship i.e reclassification, homosexuality in cinema, nudity and cinema Last tango in Paris and local government Banned films i.e Clock Work Orange. Child’s play Introduction of 12A films pg13 Obscene publications Act Violence in Cinema BBFC and video gaming industry Regulation of TV and Film http://www.sbbfc.co.uk/structure http://shootingpeople.org/destricted/guidelines.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBFC http://www.learnaboutmovieposters.com/NewSite/INDEX/COUNTRIES/UK/BritishArticles/BritishCi nemaLaws.asp http://www.learnaboutmovieposters.com/NewSite/INDEX/COUNTRIES/UK/BritishArticles/BritishCi nemaLaws.asp http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-133132670.html http://www.internationallawoffice.com/Newsletters/detail.aspx?g=93f201ba-439e-45fa-bc54- f70fac59c634 http://www.internationallawoffice.com/Newsletters/detail.aspx?g=93f201ba-439e-45fa-bc54- f70fac59c634 http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/445733/index.html

20. Possible case studies for PCC Princess Diana News of the World and Phone hacking Jan Moir Stephen Gately Naming of Blue Peters pet Phone lines row John Terry Max Mosley Naomi Campbell Madeline Macann Useful Links: http://www.politics.co.uk/briefings-guides/issue-briefs/culture-media-and-sport/self- regulation-of-the-press-$366610.htm http://www.pcc.org.uk/about/history.html http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=46529&c=1 http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/feb/24/press-regulation-recommendations http://jackofkent.blogspot.com/2009/11/against-pcc-regulation-of-blogs.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/2679593.stm http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/feb/21/ofcom-press-freedom

21. Internet and regulation Google and China before and after they fell out! Case for and against regulation, can we regulate Twitter and libel laws http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10450442 Useful links: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia -pacific/4715044.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia -pacific/4715044.stm http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolog y/google/7496838/China-stirs-anti-US- feeling-ahead-of-expected-Google- shut-down.html http://www.rogerdarlington.co.uk/reg ulation.html http://www.rogerdarlington.co.uk/reg ulation.html http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3- 10381355-266.html http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3- 10381355-266.html http://www.eurim.org/briefings/IWF_ eurim2.htm

22. Feedback answers What is regulation in that medium? How has regulation changed? How does regulation differ in the different mediums? Stretch question: What impact has the internet and web 2.0 had on regulation?