Ofcom is the regulatory authority for broadcasting, telecommunications, and postal industries in the UK. It promotes competition and protects citizens from harmful content. Ofcom regulates what the public can see on TV and radio by licensing media companies and setting codes. It aims to ensure that music videos are only aired at times when people under 18 are protected. When deciding restrictions on music videos, Ofcom considers factors like sexual images, provocative clothing, violent lyrics, dancing, and behavior, or depictions of illegal activities. The document discusses that rap music videos commonly feature gangster personas, illegal activities, sexualized women, and bad language in lyrics that emphasize masculinity.

1. OFCOM: What is it?

2. Overview
• The Office of Communication, or Ofcom to you and I, by Wikipedia definition is
"the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the
broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom".
This basically means they regulate and control what the public can see on TV,
Radio and other media accessing platforms. Ofcom has wide-ranging powers
across the different media sectors.
• It acts as a representative in the interests of citizens and consumers by
promoting competition and protecting the public from harmful or offensive
material.
• Some of the main areas Ofcom presides over are licensing, research, codes and
policies, complaints, competition and protecting the radio spectrum from abuse.
• With regards to music videos, Ofcom's main aim is to ensure that people under
18 are protected. All music videos are aired at certain times, some being more
restricted than others due to the nature of what is featured in the video.

3. What they can do
• When taking into account when music video's can be aired on television,
Ofcom take into account these points, and then make a judgement on
whether i can be shown at anytime or if it has to be more restricted. The
points are.....
• Sexual Images
• Sexualised or provocative clothing
• Lyrics of the song
• Sexualised or provocative dancing
• Violent and dangerous behaviour
• Illegal activities

4. My Music Video
• For my music video practical, the song my group and I
have chosen is in the rap genre. In the majority of
videos from this genre, I feel that these points be
highlighted. One reason is the over masculine
'gangster' persona most mainstream rappers present,
which heavily plays on doing illegal activities and also
featuring women in overly sexualised clothing, not to
mention the lyrics themselves usually contain lots of
bad language and talks of illegal activities, as the
rappers themselves are usually overtly masculine and
want to show that off in their music.