Ofcom (2024)

FAQs

What is the Ofcom 3% rule? ›

In these circ*mstances various regulations are imposed by Ofcom, including a requirement to play a message to the individual to tell them the call has been abandoned and a requirement that abandoned calls should make up no more than 3% of live calls made.

Morgan's 2021 Good Morning Britain rant, during which he said he did not believe Meghan Markle's statement that she had felt suicidal over her experience with the royal family, attracted nearly 60,000 complaints at the time and led to his exit from the programme.

Ofcom may be able to help you complain about or report issues relating to: phone, broadband and postal services; TV, radio and on-demand programmes; interference to wireless devices; or something you have seen on an online service, website or app.

Ofcom's sanctions could see it impose a financial penalty, shorten a licence, revoke a licence, issue a direction not to repeat a programme or issue a direction to broadcast a correction or a statement of Ofcom's finding.

Ofcom finds The Live Desk in breach of our rules on due impartiality. An Ofcom investigation has today found that an episode of The Live Desk, which aired on GB News on 7 July 2023, broke broadcasting due impartiality rules.

Ofcom is the regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries. It regulates the TV and radio sectors, fixed line telecoms, mobiles, postal services, plus the airwaves over which wireless devices operate.

C5: Measures to meet the needs of vulnerable consumers and end-users with disabilities. This condition aims to ensure that communications providers give sufficient consideration to the particular needs of people with disabilities and people whose circ*mstances may make them vulnerable.

B3: Number portability

This condition sets out the rules which communications providers must follow when customers request to take their landline and/or mobile number(s) with them when changing provider.

The BBC's wall-to-wall coverage of Prince Philip's death has become the most complained-about moment in British television history, as viewers expressed their annoyance that shows such as EastEnders and MasterChef were replaced with royal tributes.

The Apollo 11 moon landing is generally considered to have been the most watched event in American television history, having garnered an estimated viewership of between 125 and 150 million viewers.

How effective is Ofcom? ›

Ofcom aims to respond to complaints within 15 days. The regulator decided that 130 of those cases (relating to 3,622 complaints) raised substantive issues that warranted further investigation. Of the cases that Ofcom did actually investigate in 2019/20, it found that 79 involved breached of the Ofcom code.

Current. Michael Grade, Baron Grade of Yarmouth was appointed as chairman of Ofcom for a four-year term from 1 May 2022. The current Chief Executive is Melanie Dawes who was appointed on 12 February 2020.

It would be helpful to know: your name, email address and phone number, so that we can contact you (although you can report anonymously if you prefer);

2.8 Ofcom is accountable to Parliament. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is the responsible Minister, except for postal services when it is the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The Charter gives Ofcom responsibility for regulating the content standards of the BBC's television, radio and on-demand programmes. The Ofcom Broadcasting Code contains the rules which the BBC is required to follow so that BBC viewers and listeners are appropriately protected.

Ofcom was formally established on 29 December 2003. It replaced five organisations: Oftel, the ITC, the Radio Authority, the Radiocommunications Agency and the Broadcasting Standards Commission.

Our charges are based on companies' individual revenues and the amount of work we carry out in their area. Companies must pay these fees. It's a funding structure that is set by parliament, and it's the same model used for many UK regulators. Our overall spending cap is set as part of the Government Spending Review.

Ofcom is the regulator for the communications services that we use and rely on each day. We make sure people get the best from their broadband, home phone and mobile services, as well as keeping an eye on TV and radio.

Complaints about unwanted calls and messages

There are various types of unwanted calls and messages, but Ofcom is only responsible for monitoring silent and abandoned calls. Other organisations deal with other types of unwanted calls and messages.

Ofcom is the regulator for the communications services that we use and rely on each day. We make sure people get the best from their broadband, home phone and mobile services, as well as keeping an eye on TV and radio.

What are the duties of OFCOM defined in the communications Act 2003? ›

OFCOM's principal duty is: (i) to further the interests of citizens, and (ii) to further consumer interests in relevant markets, where appropriate by promoting competition. “Citizens” are defined in subsection (14) as all members of the public in the United Kingdom; “consumers” are defined in section 405(5).

Statutory Maternity Pay ( SMP )

To qualify for SMP you must: earn on average at least £123 a week. give the correct notice and proof you're pregnant. have worked for your employer continuously for at least 26 weeks continuing into the 'qualifying week' - the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth.