Not quite on topic of 0870 numbers, but two recent articles in the UK press just go to show how corrupt and arrogant Stephen Carter and his team of tossers at Ofcom are.

The first, published on the BBC web site last week at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4946990.stm

refers to the total failure of Ofcom to regulate junk food advertising on TV.


Quote:

Media regulator Ofcom is consulting on restricting junk food ads but has ruled out banning their broadcast before 9pm. Of 815 parents asked by Which?, 79% wanted the adverts banned at times when children were most likely to watch TV. Ofcom says independent research carried out for it in 2004 indicates only 48% of parents want a pre-watershed ban and 24% want a total ban on junk food ads. The regulator says a pre-watershed ban would cost broadcasters up to £240m every year in lost revenue. But food and farming alliance Sustain has accused Ofcom of bowing to industry pressure.

So, once again, Ofcom has its own agenda, and sings to the industry tune. Bug*er the consumer and who cares about rising childhood obesity when "broadcasters may lose up to £240m in lost revenue every year". I'm really glad that the regulator is looking after the broadcasters' interests so well......


Quote:

Chief policy adviser Sue Davies (of the Consumer's Association, Which) said Ofcom's plans "fail to tackle advertising of unhealthy food during the programmes most young children are watching".

Surprise, surprise!! Well, I'm sure the crooked Mr Stephne Carter is really worried about that!

The other article appears in The Times - "Ofcom hits back after MPs attack high costs" - 3 May 2006

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9076-2162781,00.html


Quote:

Evidence gathered by MPs found that the £130 million annual cost of running Ofcom compares with £12.9 million for the equivalent organisation in France. A joint hearing of the Trade and Industry Select Committee and the Culture, Media and Sport Committee also found that the US Federal Communications Commission spends just £171 million overseeing communications across the United States.

So the FCC, representing a population of about 280 million manages to do a far more effective job for slightly more money than Ofcom "representing" (and that's a misnomer, if ever there was one!) about 60 million Brits.....

The real surprise is that the costs are so high. I would have thought that the industry would be pouring money into the pockets of Ofcom directors to maintain their status quo.  >:(

What a totally corrupt and arrogant bunch they are!

mikeinnc wrote on May 5^th, 2006 at 3:37am:

So the FCC, representing a population of about 280 million manages to do a far more effective job for slightly more money than Ofcom "representing" (and that's a misnomer, if ever there was one!) about 60 million Brits..... The real surprise is that the costs are so high. I would have thought that the industry would be pouring money into the pockets of Ofcom directors to maintain their status quo.  >:( What a totally corrupt and arrogant bunch they are!

Ofcom represents one of the worst examples of the corruption of a so called government regulator by frighteningly powerful commercial forces and vested interests that I have ever come across.

All I can think of is that Tony Blair must have some very good reason indeed to be afraid of stopping Mr Stephen Carter further featherbedding the interests of the already vastly overpaid senior executives of the uk mafia of commercial companies that run its telecoms and broadcasting industries.  Now that I am no longer a councillor I don't even have to worry about being politically incorrect in any comments that I may make on this subject.

Sorry to hear you are no longer a councillor,hope it was by your choice, not the voters.
You will be a loss in the political arena - but get stuck into Ofcom.

firestop wrote on May 6^th, 2006 at 5:27am:

Sorry to hear you are no longer a councillor,hope it was by your choice, not the voters.

Sadly it was by the choice of the voters after a dirty tricks campaign by the Liberal Democrats in targeting my ward of quite staggering proportions :'( :'(

See www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1146808747

and

www.molevalley.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3053