Codes of Practice and Regulations

By Alister Sullivan

Regulatory BodiesOfcom | ASA | ESRB | PCC | PEGI | BBFC

• Ofcom - Office of Communications.• Formed on 29th December 2003.• It’s main headquarters is in London with offices in

Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow and more.• They are responsible for licencing every commercial

TV and radio station within the UK.• It was announced in June 2001 in the Queens

Speech to replace several existing authorities; Broadcasting Standards Commission, Independent Television Commission, Office of Telecommunications (Oftel), Radio Authority, Radio communications Agency.

• ASA - Advertising Standards Authority.• It was formed in 1962.• The ASA is a non-statutory organisation and

cannot enforce legislation.• They make the ‘Code of Advertising Practice’

which broadly reflects legislation.• Its role is to regulate the content of

advertisements, sales promotions and direct marketing within the UK.

• It is not funded by the government but instead by a levy on the advertising industry.

• ESRB - Entertainment Software Rating Board.• Established in 1994.• They have rated 22,000 game from over 350

publishers.• They are responsible for rating all games to be

realised in the United States and Canada.• Many console manufacturers will not licence a

game for their system if it does not hold an ESRB rating.

• Many game stores will refuse to sell games if they do not have a rating.

• PCC – Press Complaint Commission.• Founded in June 1990.• They moderate all printed newspapers and

magazines in Britain.• They are funded by an annual levy from

newspapers and magazines.• They received criticism for lack of attention to the

News of the World phone hacking scandal.• They have no legal powers but all newspapers

and magazines voluntarily contribute to the costs and rulings of the commission.

• PEGI – Pan European Game Information.• Founded in April 2003.• They have rated more than 20,000 games as of

December 2012, 1,813 of which were in 2012.• They are responsible for rating all games to be

released Europe, Quebec and Israel. • Only in 9 of the 31 countries that they regulate are

there regulations enforced.• In June 2007 PEGI formed a new division; PEGI

Online. They work very similarly to PEGI, but they regulate the online services within PEGI rated games.

• BBFC – British Board of Film Classification.• Established in 1912.• The BBFCs main role is to rate films within the UK

but they have also began rating video games.• They do not have legal power to enforce their

ratings but most councils follow the advice that they give.

• The BBFC also gives films advice on how to change scenes in order the receive a lower rating.

Trade UnionsPACT | NUJ | BECTU

• PACT – Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television.

• They are based in London.• PACT is the UK trade association representing and

promoting the interests of independent film companies, television and animation media.

• They believe that all producers own the content that they make.

• NUJ – National Union of Journalists.• They were founded in 1907.• The companies goals are to improve the pay of

journalists and their working conditions.• The union is represented in all of the towns and

cities within the UK, Ireland and also in some places within mainland Europe.

• BECTU - Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union.

• They were founded in 1991.• They are the main trade union in the UK for

media and entertainment.• They are based in London• There main goal is to protect jobs, increase

membership and improve the pay of people working within media and entertainment.

Trade AssociationsTIGA | ELSPA | BIMA

• TIGA – The Independent Games Developers Association.

• They were founded in 2001.• They are a non-profit organisation representing

indie game developers in the UK.• Their vision is to make the UK the best country to

develop and publish games.

• ELSPA – The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publisher's Association Ltd.

• Founded in 1989 as the European Leisure Software Publishers Association.

• Their membership include almost all of the companies involved with publishing interactive media software in the UK.

• They were responsible for video ratings in the UK in 1994

• They were formed in 1985.• The representing the digital industry in the UK.• The BIMA have awards every year and celebrate

excellence across various category's from anywhere in the industry.