1. Unit 30 – Task 4
Regulations
ASA – Advertisement standards authorities –
It published a set of rules called BCAP, which
states things you can and can’t do, some of
those rules are actual laws passed by
parliament by law. Ethical Moral Rules –
Gambling, Children, Drugs and Smoking
Awareness. (Does this advert cause harm and
offence?)
BCAP - Broadcast Committee of Advertising
Practice – Things you can and cannot do (Put
on television?). They are responsible for
writing and updating the UK Advertising
Codes. The Committees are made up of
representatives of advertisers, agencies, media owners and other industry groups, all of
which are committed to upholding the highest standards in non-broadcast and
broadcast advertising.
Ofcom – Enforce the law, take regards to what ASA report and produce legal
enforcement. The ASA can also refer problematic broadcast advertisers to Ofcom.
Broadcasters have ultimate responsibility for advertisements shown on their channels
and are therefore directly answerable to Ofcom, their licensing authority. Ofcom has
powers to fine and/or revoke licenses. For example, following more than 1,000
complaints to the ASA about the shopping channel Auction World.tv, the ASA referred
the matter to Ofcom, which found the company in breach of its license and fined it.
Auction World.tv ended up in administration and went out of business.
The ASA deal with most types of ads but not all of them. If we can’t deal with people
complaints themselves, they will try tot help them contact the right people. The types of
ads they deal with include:
Magazine and newspaper advertisements
Radio and TV commercials (not programs or
programme sponsorship)
Television Shopping Channels
Advertisements on the Internet, including:
Banner and display ads
Paid-for (sponsored) search
Marketing on companies’ own websites and
in other space they control like
Social networking sites Twitter and
Facebook
The ASA now regulate Online Behavioral
Advertising (OBA).
OBA is the practice of collection information
web browsers so that it can be used to
present online advertisements that are more
relevant to the user of a practical computer.
Ofcom - Ofcom is responsible for the rules
governing product placement, including what
can and can’t be shown on TV screens. Every
time Ofcom receives a complaint from a

2. Unit 30 – Task 4
viewer or listener, we assess it under the Broadcasting Code to see if it needs further
investigation. The Code sets standards for television and radio shows and broadcasters
have to follow these rules.
Broadcasting Code - These rules not only cover harm and offence, but also other areas
like impartiality and accuracy, sponsorship and commercial references as well as
fairness and privacy. For example, the Code has rules on what can be screened on TV
before the 9pm watershed. If we find a programme has broken these rules, then it will
be found in breach of the Code and Ofcom will publish this decision. In very serious
cases, we will consider further action (e.g. fining a broadcaster).