Part 1 – Who are Ofcom?
Outreach Radio Limited operates 3 local radio services:
Outreach Radio, Outreach Dance & Outreach Classical
…all operating under licences issued by the communications regulatory authority, Ofcom – the Office for Communications.
Ofcom is the UK regulatory body for communications services such as radio, TV, broadband, home phone and mobile services.
They look after the airwaves used by wireless devices like cordless phones, walkie talkies and even some car keys and doorbells, and also oversee the universal postal service, which means Royal Mail must deliver and collect letters six days a week, and parcels five days a week, at an affordable and uniform price across the UK.
Ofcom’s duties come from Parliament. They help to make sure that people across the UK are satisfied with what they see and hear on TV and radio, and that programmes reflect the audiences they serve.
Ofcom considers every complaint received from viewers and listeners. Often, they investigate further and sometimes find broadcasters in breach of their rules. These rules are called the Ofcom Broadcast Code.
Penalties can be severe if licence conditions or the Ofcom Broadcast Code is breached, and can lead to financial penalties or revocation of the broadcast licence.
As part of Outreach Radio’s compliance obligations, this training course has been created to provide Outreach Radio staff with a working understanding of the Ofcom Broadcast Code.