Ofcom was established in 2003 to regulate communications industries in the UK, including broadcasting and telecommunications. It receives partial public funding through TV licensing fees but is mainly funded by annual fees paid by communications providers. Ofcom regulates advertising on TV, radio, and other media by working with the ASA and controlling the code that the ASA uses to regulate advertising content and standards.

1. Ofcom
Shannon House, Dominic Edwards and Lester Loat

2. When was Ofcom set up?
• Ofcom was set up on the 29th of December 2003.
• It was initially announced by the Queen to the parliament in
June 2001.
• It was then established by the Office of Communications Act
2002 and received its full authority from the Office of
Communications Act 2003.

3. How is Ofcom funded?
• Ofcom is partially funded by the public through TV licensing.
• It is mainly funded through the Communications Act 2003 by
providers who pay annual fees.
• It gets its funding from industries regulating broadcasts and
direct pay from the government.

4. What role does Ofcom have in regulating
advertising?
• Ofcom regulates communications, so regulates TV, radio, fixed-line
telecoms and mobiles, plus the airwaves that wireless devices operate
over, meaning they can control the advertising the public is exposed to.
• Ofcom work with the ASA to regulate advertising.
• After they merged, the ASA was put in charge of day-to-day regulation
of advertising and Ofcom were made responsible for controlling and
updating the code that the ASA regulates from.