Ofcom Investigates STV

The independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, this week published a Finding in relation to Scottish Television (STV) programme sponsorship by the Scottish Government and its agencies.
Following allegations in the press that the Scottish Government had influenced the content of STV's programming, in particular the Homecoming series, Ofcom launched an extensive investigation of 57 Government sponsored programmes broadcast on STV in 2008 and 2009.
The STV programming included three series: Made in Scotland, Scotland Revealed and The Greatest Scot (together "the Homecoming programmes")
Ofcom found that the Homecoming programmes referred to in the press articles were not in breach of the Code. However, as part of its wider investigation, Ofcom found that 18 other programmes, the majority of which were one-minute in duration covering public information-type subjects, were in breach of sponsorship rules in the Code.
With regard to any other STV programming, such as news, current affairs and its coverage of Scottish politics, Ofcom found that there was no evidence or implication that the Scottish Government had influenced the content in such a way as to impair STV's responsibility and editorial independence.
(BMcN)