Editing Ofcom (section)

===Television and radio===

Ofcom licenses all UK commercial television and radio services in the UK. Broadcasters must comply by the terms of their licence, or risk having it revoked. Ofcom also publishes the Broadcasting Code, a series of rules which all broadcast content on television and radio must follow.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ofcom broadcasting|url=http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/|publisher=Ofcom|access-date=4 September 2012|archive-date=16 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016155741/http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Broadcasting Code requires that content inappropriate for children should not be broadcast between the hours of 5:30{{nbsp}}a.m. and 9:00{{nbsp}}p.m. Premium-rate film services may broadcast content equivalent to a [[British Board of Film Classification|BBFC]] 15 certificate at any time of day provided a [[Personal identification number|PIN]]-protected system is in place to restrict access to those authorised to view it.<ref>{{cite web|title=Appendix 3: International Comparison of Classification and Content Regulation – The United Kingdom|url=http://www.alrc.gov.au/publications/appendix-3-international-comparison-classification-and-content-regulation/united-kingdo|publisher=Australian Law Reform Commission|date=1 March 2012|access-date=16 March 2016}}</ref> The broadcasting of pornography with a BBFC [[R18 (British Board of Film Classification)|R18 certificate]] is not permitted.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ofcom to consider product placement on TV and radio|url=http://www.brandrepublic.com/article/476966/ofcom-consider-product-placement-tv-radio|date=25 May 2005|author=Joe Lepper|work=Brand Republic|access-date=16 March 2016}}</ref> In 2010 Ofcom revoked the licences of four free-to-air television channels for promoting adult chat services during daytime hours and transmitting content that was too sexually explicit. The companies involved were fined £157,250.<ref>{{cite news|title=Adult TV channels become first to lose licences|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11847846|date=26 November 2010|work=BBC News|access-date=16 March 2016}}</ref> Ofcom's [[jurisdiction]] does not cover television and radio channels which are broadcast in the UK but licensed abroad. In 2012 Ofcom lodged a complaint with the Dutch media regulator regarding the content of adult chat television channels which are broadcast in the UK but licensed in the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ofcom lodges porn TV complaint with Dutch regulator|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/17297090/ofcom-lodges-porn-tv-complaint-with-dutch-regulator|work=BBC Newsbeat|author=Del Crookes|date=8 March 2012|access-date=16 March 2016}}</ref> Based on a survey of 200 British respondents, Ofcom published in 2016 a list of about 50 words classified in four grades of offensiveness, from "milder" to "strongest".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Ofcom Have Officially Ranked Every British Swear Word|url=http://www.look.co.uk/news/ofcom-officially-ranked-swear-words-557942|magazine=Look Magazine|author=Will Butler|date=3 October 2016}}</ref>