Section 264: OFCOM reports on the fulfilment of the public service remit
572.OFCOM are to prepare - twelve months after commencement of this section, and thereafter no less frequently than every five years - a report on the current state of public service television broadcasting, documenting the extent to which broadcasters have together satisfied the requirements of the public service television broadcasting remit set out in this section. In essence, the remit involves the provision of a balanced diversity of high-quality programming, which meets the needs and interests of different audiences (subsection (4)).
573.OFCOM are also to have regard to the more detailed obligations listed in subsection (6). These include obligations relating to culture, news and current affairs, sport, education, entertainment, religion and other beliefs, science, social issues, matters of international significance, programming for children, and local programming. OFCOM are also required to have regard to the number of programmes within the services which are made outside the M25 area. In addition, OFCOM must consider the costs to the broadcasters of fulfilling their public service television remit and their available resources.
*the public service broadcasters listed in subsection (12) are the BBC, the Welsh Authority, the public teletext provider and the providers of licensed public service channels, namely the providers of Channel 3 services, Channel 4 or Channel 5 (see section 362).
