Broadcast Letters: 10 October '08

Broadcast letters from the issue dated 10 October 2008

It's time to clean up our act
The Serious Fraud Office's decision not to investigate last year's phone-in scandals has helped clear the decks for the rehabilitation of participation TV (PTV). 
But the industry must now focus on a major hurdle before resurgent demand for interactive programming from a newly confident public can be met.
Ofcom's consultation on new rules for premium rate services (PRS) seeks to settle the debate about keeping advertising separate from editorial. If the way PRS is used does not comply with the new rules, then it must be changed, which could mean the end of a number of adult, psychic and quiz channels. And are advertisements for adult chat, recorded chat and text chat services included?
The onus is on the industry to contribute to the consultation so we get robust regulation that isn't arbitrary or disproportionate.
Edward Boddington,
CEO Harvest Media Group

Who is regulating the regulators?
I wondered, after Mr Shuttleworth's letter (Broadcast 26 September) whether Ofcom had bothered to justify its decision to let ITV franchise holders break the terms of their contracts. It has already fouled up the digital dividend where it concerns radio microphone use.
Who regulates Ofcom?
John Wilson
Freelance sound engineer