What we do

The Broadcast Compliance team ensures all the content on our linear channels (editorial, sponsorship, product placement, promotions etc.) comply with the relevant Ofcom Codes and guidance as well as our own Editorial Policy. Whether the content is live or recorded, commissioned or acquired, we ensure the appropriate risk assessments are undertaken to ensure mitigation plans are in place (for live events) or that a full compliance review (for non-live programming) is completed before transmission. We also work across platform issues and video-on-demand content.

Our aim

To help BT achieve its editorial and commercial goals for all content across all platforms.

How we achieve this aim

By evolving the environment (including our internal culture and the external regulatory regime) and our internal structures (policies, workflows & processes), ensuring risks are assessed proportionately and appropriately.

Why?

 
  1. To ensure we fully exploit our rights. For example our team of Compliance Editors reversion live events and also create shorter material from longer form programmes.

  2. We also help BT avoid reputational risk and ensure we fulfil our Ofcom licence obligations, as the consequences of being non-compliant can result in fines and revocation of our licences, meaning that we would no longer be able to broadcast.

Areas we cover

  • The BT Sport compliance team regularly re-assess its compliance workflows to ensure they are as efficient as possible and that they accommodate the continually changing technical specifications. We work with our 3rd party suppliers to ensure media is delivered in the correct format and within a timely manner. We ensure our content is PSE (Photo Sensitive Epilepsy) compliant by running it through the relevant checks before transmission.

  • BT Sport acquire content from various production companies across the globe and our compliance editors view and edit this content to ensure it complies with Ofcom regulations and is suitable for UK broadcast including complying with the COSTA code.

  • The BT Sport compliance team are across commercial areas of the channel including sponsorship and product placement.

  • The BT Sport compliance team work closely with the production teams. We hold training workshops for programme-makers to ensure they are aware of the Ofcom rules and guidance as well as BT’s own Editorial Policy in order to give them the necessary tools to make quick and appropriate decisions when covering live sporting events. We have various processes and mitigations in place to ensure our live broadcasts are compliant.

More on protecting consumers and delivering content

Future of Content Delivery

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