Ofcom yesterday published the revised general procedures for investigating breaches of broadcast licences, stating they needed an upgrade considering the changed landscape.

Pointing out that it has a duty to secure the wide availability of TV and radio services throughout the United Kingdom, it said issuance of broadcast licence with conditions attached sets out those processes.

“We enforce these licence conditions in line with our published General Procedures, which were last updated in April 2017. Since then, there have been developments in the types of broadcasters we regulate, changes in our approach to regulation, and an increase in our caseload. Following consultation, we are now publishing our revised General Procedures, to ensure they remain fit for purpose,” Ofcom said in a statement yesterday.

In brief, Ofom has decided to do the following:

# Publish a detailed administrative priorities framework.

# Clarify its position on sharing information about complaints with broadcasters.

# Set a 20-working-day time limit for making complaints.

However, it pointed out that after listening to respondents’ concerns it would not go ahead with its proposal to not respond to complainants with the outcome of assessments. This means that the regulator will continue to keep complainants directly informed of its decisions, in the form of a concise case status update.

The British regulator has also restructured the procedures to make them easier to follow and have simplified, updated and clarified some of the language.(https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/consultations/category-1-10-weeks/general-procedures-for-investigating-breaches-of-broadcast-licences/main-documents/statement-general-procedures-for-investigating-reaches-of-broadcast-licences.pdf?v=398960)