2. British Board of Film Classification
(BBFC)
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC),
originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-
governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and
responsible for the national classification and censorship of
films within the United Kingdom. It has a statutory
requirement to classify videos, DVDs and, to a lesser
extent, some video games under the Video Recordings Act
2010.
3. PEGI
Pan European Game Information (PEGI) is a
European video game content rating system established to
help European consumers make informed decisions on
buying computer games with logos on games' boxes. It
was developed by the Interactive Software Federation of
Europe (ISFE) and came into use in April 2003; it replaced
many national age rating systems with a single European
system.
4. Film
Distributor
s
Associatio
n
• Film Distributors' Association Ltd. (FDA)
is the trade body for theatrical film
distributors in the UK - the companies
that release films for UK cinema
audiences.
Originally established in London in
1915, FDA liaises and works with many
individuals, companies and
organisations. FDA's Council, or board,
comprising a senior representative of
each member company, normally meets
six times a year and considers only
matters of generic interest to film
distributors.
• FDA is a voice for UK film distribution.
5. Video Standards Council (VSC)
The VSC is a non-profit making company established in
1989 in response to Government concerns about the video
industry.
It established a Code of Practice designed to promote high
standards within the video industry and to ensure that pre-
recorded videos and DVDs are provided to the public in a
responsible manner. In July 1993 the Code of Practice was
extended to promote high standards within the video
games industry.
6. Office for Communication (Ofcom)
• The Office of Communications, commonly known
as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and
competition authority for
the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal
industries of the United Kingdom. Ofcom has wide-
ranging powers across the television, radio, telecoms and
postal sectors. It has a statutory duty to represent the
interests of citizens and consumers by promoting
competition and protecting the public from harmful or
offensive material.
7. Trading Standards Central
The Trading Standards Institute (TSI) is a professional
association which represents trading standards
professionals in the UK and overseas, working in local
authorities, business and consumer sectors and in central
government. TSI engages with, and making
representations to, government, UK and EU Parliamentary
institutions, and key stakeholders in the local government,
community, business and consumer sectors, and other
regulatory agencies. It aims to sustain and improve
consumer protection, health and wellbeing, together with
the reinforcement of fair markets, facilitating business
competitiveness and success.
8. Press Complaints
Commission (PCC)
he Press Complaints Commission (PCC) is a
voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers
and magazines, consisting of representatives of the major
publishers. The PCC is funded by the annual levy it
charges newspapers and magazines. It has no legal
powers – all newspapers and magazines voluntarily
contribute to the costs of, and adhere to the rulings of, the
Commission, making the industry self-regulating.
9. Advertising Standards
Authority(ASA).
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the self-
regulatory organisation (SRO) of the advertising industry in
the United Kingdom. The ASA is a non-statutory
organisation and so cannot interpret or enforce legislation.
However, its code of advertising practice broadly reflects
legislation in many instances. The ASA is not funded by
the British government, but by a levy on the advertising
industry.
10. Case Study for Ofcom banning Supermarket
Advert
• Radio advert for supermarket chain Somerfield has been banned after its use of the word faggots
was deemed to be "highly derogatory".
• The avert featured a husband complaining that his wife served him the same meals every week.
When she told him it was Friday so he was getting his usual faggots, he replied: "I've nothing
against faggots, I just don't fancy them."
• Three listeners complained to media watchdog Ofcom, saying faggots alluded to homosexuals.
• Somerfield insisted: "The ad refers only to food products. Faggots were chosen to demonstrate the
idea because they are commonly perceived as an out dated and slightly comical product, not
because of any allusions to homosexuality."
• But Ofcom ruled against the supermarket chain and banned the advert from being broadcast again
in its present form.
• "Irrespective of the advertiser's denial of intent and the brevity of the campaign, we believed that
the aired comment was likely to have been perceived at best as innuendo," Ofcom said.
• "The phrase could clearly be seen in connection with homosexuality. As the term faggot, when
used in this context, is a highly derogatory term, we believed that it was capable of causing serious
offence."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1466223/Ofcom-bans-
derogatory-faggot-advert.html
11. • The controversial was that the
supermarket company used a homophobic
reference in their advert and many people
complain because of this.
• The people complained to Watchdog
Ofcom saying it was alluded for
homosexuals.
• Ofcom then decided to ban the advert in its
present form.
