Ofcom appoints ATVOD as VOD co-regulator
Who watches the watch on demand men?
Ofcom has officially designated the Association for Television On Demand as the co-regulator on UK video on demand.
ATVOD is an industry body created by the key companies involved in UK video on demand - and it was created to vet one of the biggest boom areas of media.
"This is a landmark moment for Video On Demand services in the UK which offer programmes which are comparable to those shown on traditional TV channels," said ATVOD's newly appointed CEO Pete Johnson.
"Previously unregulated, such VOD services now fall under statutory regulation, and are obliged to notify ATVOD of their existence. The new rules broadly match those recently introduced across all EU member states.
"On UK services, children will be protected from the most extreme content, and for the first time use of product placement and sponsorship will be subject to controls and restrictions.
"We are delighted that Ofcom has decided to designate ATVOD as the appropriate authority to regulate this exciting and growing sector. We believe that its balance of independence and industry expertise will enable ATVOD to regulate effectively and without placing undue burdens on a fast developing industry."
Self-regulating
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"Ofcom today designated the Association for Television On Demand ("ATVOD") as the co-regulator for editorial content on UK video on demand services that include TV-like programming," stated Ofcom, in a PDF release.
ATVOD had made several changes to its board to coincide with the announcement, with the appointment of new CEO Johnson joined by Ruth Evans as independent chair.
"ATVOD has a new Board comprising of five independent members - Sara Nathan (former Channel 4 News editor andfounder member of Ofcom Board), Tim Lefroy (Chief Executive of The Advertising Association), Nigel Walmsley (former broadcasting executive and member of the ASA Council) and Ian McBride (broadcast compliance specialist and current affairs executive) alongside Chair Ruth Evans," ATVOD told TechRadar.
"Four industry members, Daniel Austin, Simon Milner, Simon Hunt and Chris Loweth, have also been appointed with the role of providing a general industry perspective. These members are currently employed by BSkyB, BT, Virgin Media and Five.
Patrick Goss is the ex-Editor in Chief of TechRadar. Patrick was a passionate and experienced journalist, and he has been lucky enough to work on some of the finest online properties on the planet, building audiences everywhere and establishing himself at the forefront of digital content. After a long stint as the boss at TechRadar, Patrick has now moved on to a role with Apple, where he is the Managing Editor for the App Store in the UK.