NEWS
CIRCULAR:
15 JUNE 2005
Ref: ADM/PEB/LIC/05/114
TO PRIVATE & PUBLIC RADIO BROADCASTERS AND PUBLIC TV BROADCASTER
The
Authority wishes to draw your attention to Part
B - Special Conditions, Party Political and Parliamentary Broadcasting
attached to licences, namely that 'small parties and independent candidates
need to be given appropriate coverage.'
In
the spirit of due diligence, the Authority trusts that broadcasting
licensees will abide strictly to the above.
We
refer to the Authority's circular dated
9 June 2005
, ref: ADM/PEB/LIC/05/104 and
we would like to reiterate our invitation for a working session with members
of your staff concerned (journalists, reporters and anchor-persons), should
you deem it necessary. In the affirmative, it may be more convenient for
licensees to agree on a date, taken into consideration your hectic schedule,
which they would propose to the Authority. We shall try our best to be
available on that date.
CIRCULAR:
9
JUNE 2005
Ref:
ADM/PEB/LIC/05/
...
TO
PRIVATE & PUBLIC RADIO BROADCASTERS AND PUBLIC TV BROADCASTER
We trust that you have already put a copy of the 'Political
Broadcasts and Party Election Broadcasts - General Guidelines for Private
and Public Broadcasters - General Election 2005' at the disposal
of your employees, agents, moderators, anchor-persons and reporters.
Should
you feel the need for a working session with us for your staff, please do
not hesitate to inform us.
CIRCULAR:
29 OCTOBER 2004
Ref:
ADM/LIC/MCML/04/196
RE: Access
Agreement between MCML & Broadcasting Operators
You
may wish to note that pursuant to Section 18 of
the IBA Act 2000,
'no person shall provide a broadcasting service unless
-
(a)
he is licensed to do so under this Act;
(b)
in the case of terrestrial broadcasting, he provides such a service
pursuant to an access agreement with the Company (MCML) for the transmission
of broadcasting by the Company for reception by the public.'
A
draft access agreement was submitted by MCML to all broadcasting operators
towards the end of last year. We have been advised by MCML that there still
are broadcasters who have not signed the Access Agreement.
To
be in line with the above provisions of law, it is recommended for licensees
who have not yet done so, to sign the access agreement with MCML.
Ref:
ADM/ACT/LIC/04/195
ADVERTISING
ON RADIO AND TELEVISION
With
the coming festive season, where the trend is usually towards an increase in
advertising in general in the media, as you know, you are well advised to pay
particular attention to the following sections of Part
B of the Schedule to the IBA Act 2000.
Extracts of Part B - Special
Conditions
Advertising
40. The content of advertisement must be lawful, decent,
honest, truthful and must not offend against good taste and public feeling. It
should not make an abuse of children's participation therein.
41. The licensee must not unreasonably discriminate either
against or in favour of a particular advertiser though it is entitled to
refuse advertising for legal, legitimate or moral reasons.
42. Where an advertiser believes he has been unreasonably
discriminated against and has been unable to negotiate a settlement with the
licensee, he is entitled to approach the Authority with all relevant and
detailed information for any action that the latter deems appropriate or
necessary under the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act.
43.
The licensee must use all appropriate means to distinguish advertising from
programming.
Sponsorship
44. The licensee must ensure that programmes are not
distorted for commercial purposes. A sponsor must not influence the content or
scheduling of a programme in such a way as to affect the editorial
independence and responsibility of the broadcaster.
45. The licensee shall in no circumstance allow its news
programme to be sponsored by any advertiser. This includes any programme or
news flash containing national or international news.
46. Any sponsorship must be clearly identified at the
beginning and/or end of the programme. Sponsors credits must not exceed the
following lengths:
Opening
credit (one sponsor programme) 15 seconds.
Opening
credit (more than one programme sponsor) 20 seconds.
End
credit 10 seconds.
The
onus is on your organization to strictly abide to the above.
You
are advised to remind your relevant departments of these conditions and to
inform prospective advertisers and advertising agencies of your responsibility
in respect of the above provisions of law as a broadcaster.
Ref: ADM/ACT/LIC/04/168
CODE OF
CONDUCT: A USEFUL REMINDER
It
is thought that you may want to remind your journalists of the following
relevant sections of the Code of Conduct for Broadcasting Services from the IBA Act 2000
EXTRACTS
OF
SECOND
SCHEDULE
PART C -
CODE OF CONDUCT FOR BROADCASTING
SERVICES
2.
General
Broadcasting licensees shall -
(a) not broadcast any material which is indecent, obscene or
offensive to public morals or offensive to the religious convictions or
feelings of any section of the population or likely to prejudice the safety of
the State or the public order or relations between sections of the population;
3.
News
(1)
Broadcasting licensees shall report news truthfully, accurately and
objectively.
(2) News shall be presented in the correct context and in a
balanced manner, without intentional or negligent departure from the facts,
whether by -
(a)
distortion, exaggeration or misrepresentation;
(b)
material omission; or
(c)
Summarisation.
(3) Only that which may reasonably be true, having due regard
to the source of the news, may be presented as fact, and such facts shall be
broadcast fairly with due regard to context and importance. Where a report is
not based on fact or is founded on opinion, supposition, rumours or
allegations, it shall be presented in such manner as to indicate clearly that
such is the case.
(4) Where there is reason to doubt the correctness of a
report and it is practicable to verify the correctness thereof, it shall be
verified. Where such verification is not practicable, that fact shall be
mentioned in the report.
(5) Where it subsequently appears that a broadcast report was
incorrect in a material respect, it shall be rectified forthwith, without
reservation or delay. The rectification shall be presented with such a degree
or prominence and timing as may be adequate and fair so as to readily attract
attention.
7.
Privacy
In
so far as both news and comment are concerned, broadcasting licensees shall
exercise exceptional care and consideration in matters involving the private
lives and private concerns of individuals, bearing in mind that the right to
privacy may be overridden by a legitimate public interest.
In
the spirit of due diligence, the Authority trusts that licensees will abide
strictly to the above.
Re: Invitation
for Expression of Interest for Private TV via DVB-T (Digital Video
Broadcasting - Terrestrial)
At the expiry
of the delay to submit expressions of interest regarding the above, the
Independent Broadcasting Authority is in presence of one submission from Zee
Telefilms Ltd.
16.07.04
COMMUNIQUÉ :
1 MARCH 2004
