OFCOM plan to use the web as their guidance communication channel

 by Martin Belam, 14 July 2004

I'm starting to plough my way through the consultation document OFCOM have issued about their draft new broadcasting code. I was immediately heartened by one thing that features in the proposed introduction:

"To further assist those who work in broadcasting, as well as viewers and listeners who wish to understand broadcasting standards or make a complaint, non-binding guidance to accompany the Code will also be issued by OFCOM on the OFCOM website (www.ofcom.org.uk) and will be regularly reviewed. Members of the public who have no access to the web can ask Ofcom to send them a copy by post."

For me there seems a real significance that OFCOM sees ofcom.org.uk as its natural conduit to give information for broadcasters, and viewers & listeners. If people request it, they'll put it in print as well. This is a welcome development in delivering information - and hopefully will see a move away from the model of issuing a print document, then whacking a PDF of it up on the web, which so many government departments and NGOs do.

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