BTEC Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production

Unit 7: Understanding the Creative Media Sector

Learning outcome 3:

Understand the regulation of the media

sector

Name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

BTEC Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production

Understand the regulation of the media sector

Use this workbook to help you with this learning outcome. There is some guidance

and further notes which you should read and then remove, replacing it with your own

answers.

Which regulatory body did you research?

I am doing the ASA which stands for advertising standards authority.

What are they in charge of regulating?

They act upon complaints. They also take action on misleading advertising or

harmful and offensive advertising, sale promotions and direct marketing. The ASA will enforce these rules for TV, Film, radio and advertising.

When was the body set up? Why was it set up?

They were set up when the Advertising Association in 1962 founded the

committee of advertising practice or CAP. They were to form the British Advertising Practice. Which in 1962 they set up the Advertising Authority. So that people whop complained about adverts could get in touch with someone

who could do something about it.

How is this organisation funded? Why is it funded that way? Are there any benefits or drawbacks to being funded this way?

This regulator body is funded by the advertisers that they have made an

agreement so that they can stay independent. They are not funded by the government in which this means that they are free from tax payer in which the

tax payer doesn’t have to pay them any money. So it will work in favour with them the tax payers. However because of this they might have to be easy on what they regulate because they are being paid by the advertisers (media

industry) and not by the government in which these bodies could regulate anything they want because they don’t have risk of losing their funding by

disagreeing with the people they are being funded by.

What powers does the regulatory body have? What can they do if someone breaks their rules? Who gives these powers to the body?

The regulator body has CAP which provide the powers that they can use and CAP are Committee Of Advertising Practice who write the powers/rules The

ASA has rules that it needs to follow to operate to follow its services and they are given by CAP. If someone breaks there rules they will investigate the

advertisements that have broken the rules. They also have sanctions in which they compliance with the advertiser because they rather not punish them.

BTEC Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production

How does the industry use it?

There approach is rather to work with them rather than against them. Which are Advertisers. Advertising competitors can complain about their competitors in the advertising industry. However they must provide evidence that they have tried

and resolved their complaints first together, Before the ASA take on the complaint and investigate it.

How can the public use it?

The public can use the Advertising Standards Authority by making complaints about adverts and the public can also make complaints about the ASA if they think that they have fallen from their high expectations of services. Parents can

also get in touch with them for the children's concern if they think a advertisement is not suitable.

What kinds of regulatory issues does your body deal with the most?

The issue that ASA have with customers and the industry are

use of abusive, obscene or threatening language comments of a discriminatory nature

repeated unnecessary phone calls or refusal to end telephone conversations persistent or lengthy letter writing (or contact by email) which is adding nothing

new to the matter

persihttp://www.asa.org.uk/Consumers/Unacceptable-Contact-Policy.aspxstent

and unfounded new complaints arising out of the same facts

Case Studies:

Find a case study which demonstrates the regulatory body working in practice.

One case was "A TV ad for the cinema release of the film Dawn of the Planet of the

Apes, was seen on ITV during World Cup Semi-Final coverage at approximately 9.50pm." that they had 119 complaints about an advert being inappropriate for

children to see and that it was violent and that is was irresponsible. They responded and said "that the ad was a one-off exclusive" The outcome was that the ASA said that the ad must be suitable for viewing audience and that

BCAP Code specified that. The ad was also not upheld and there was no further action taken place.

http://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2014/9/Twentieth-Century-Fox-Film-Company-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_273480.aspx#.VDFDnsstDyA

BTEC Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production

Find a second case study which demonstrates the regulatory body working in

practice.

The issues were that the ad was misleading because it didn't state the price of the product or the delivery of the product. They responded to that the CAP Code had no requirement to state the pricing information. The outcome was that the

ASA decided that the Ad was not misleading and no further action was taken. http://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2014/9/Photo-Therapeutics-

Ltd/SHP_ADJ_271619.aspx#.VDFDosstDyB

Regulation:

You should answer the following questions using the information you have

gained so far in the unit to help you provide examples to support your opinions. You may also wish to undertake further research to help you produce detailed

answers.

Should there be regulation of the media?

I think there should be regulation in media because if there wasn't any regulation then the advertisers would be allowed to put anything on they wanted even if it was not suitable for the audience. This would put a bad impression to

younger audience if they saw it and would cause disruption in learning and growing up. It could also cause misleading in the ads or inappropriate

information because there are no requirements or regulations put in place. They could also offend religions and beliefs.

Should regulators be independent?

I don't think they should be independent because they are funded by the media

industry, so the regulators would do less to them because they might or would lose their funding. However if they were not independent they could do more to

them because they are funded by the government and they won't lose on funds so they can do their service in which it is to regulate the media industry.

Extension tasks

Answer just one of the following questions with a long form answer using specific examples to help support your opinions.

Why do we allow regulatory bodies to censor media products like films

and video games?

BTEC Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production

or

Is it important to regulate adverts?

Yes I do think it is important to regulate adverts because if you didn't regulate

them then they would put anything on them which isn't suitable for the audience. They could also put them on at any time of day/night. It is also important to

regulate them so the viewers are happy and not angry with what they are seeing. They could also put a bad influence on the people that are watching them because they don't have any rules or regulations to follow, this could be

for younger generation especially. But they could also make the older generation angry and unhappy as well. However a good point if they didn't

regulate them is that the advertisers could put what they want and have a larger target audience.

or

Is people’s privacy or freedom of information more important?