External Funding for BBC World Service Which is Not Co-Production or Sponsorship and for BBC Media Action
External funding occurs when any public or private undertaking (including but not limited to an individual) finances, but does not co-produce or sponsor, editorial content. An external funder may not receive any promotion within the editorial content or around it through a sponsor credit.
However, for reasons of transparency an external funder must receive acknowledgment in the end credits or adjacent to the editorial content. Such external funding usually comes in the form of a grant. External funders are not co-producers because the primary purpose of the financing is not the exchange of rights.
16.4.53 All external funding relationships must comply with the guidelines for All Editorial External Relationships.
(See 16.4.1-16.4.10)
External funding must not be accepted where there is a connection between the external funder's objectives and the editorial content that would compromise the BBC's independence.
The World Service may accept external funding to make editorial content that conforms to the BBC World Service Statement of Policy for Sources of Finance Other Than the Licence Fee.[30]
16.4.54 News and current affairs content must not be externally funded. Consumer advice content must not be externally funded by external funders whose products, services, or activities may be reviewed in the editorial content.
16.4.55 Content which is not news, current affairs or consumer advice content can be funded by other appropriate parties that meet the criteria in the guidelines for All Editorial External Relationships.
(See 16.4.1-16.4.10)
Appropriate external funders may be non-commercial or commercial organisations. However, the external funder and its name, brand, products, organisations, services, trade mark, image and activities, must not receive any promotion within or around the content either within the editorial or through a sponsor credit.
Organisations which are principally involved in the following are prohibited from externally funding content:
- political parties and political organisations
- lobby groups
- faith, religion and equivalent systems of belief
- tobacco firms or those mainly known for tobacco-related or other smoking-related products
- adult products and services
- weapons manufacturers.
16.4.56 Mandatory Referral: Any reference to an external funder in the World Service or Media Action's editorial content must be referred to a senior editorial figure, or for independent production companies to the commissioning editor, who will consider whether the reference is editorially justified and is non-promotional.
16.4.57 Mandatory Referral: Any proposal for the World Service or Media Action's editorial content to be externally funded by a non-UK government department or agency must be approved by the relevant director who will consider whether the external funding would harm the BBC's reputation for impartiality and independence.
(See 16.4.60)
16.4.58 External funding arrangements must be made clear with an informational and non-promotional acknowledgement. This must not suggest that the programme has been made by the external funder. To avoid promotion, no external funder logos may be used. Acknowledgements must be given in a standard form adjacent to the editorial content. For audio and video content this should normally be in the end credits. They must not appear to be a sponsorship credit. Contact details for the external funder, including but not limited to web addresses, may not be included.
External funding acknowledgements must not incorporate any element of the programme or other BBC branding or be voiced by someone appearing in the programme. BBC Media Action is the BBC's international charity. It is primarily funded from grants and voluntary contributions and donations.
Mandatory Referral: The World Service and Media Action's external funding acknowledgements must be approved by the relevant World Service output controller, or by the relevant Media Action country director for Media Action content that does not appear on a BBC service, who will consider whether the acknowledgement would promote the external funder, which is prohibited.
External funders are not normally allowed a preview of BBC content.
16.4.59 The World Service may publish or broadcast programmes which are made either with or by the BBC's international charity BBC Media Action.
Media Action programmes published or broadcast on the World Service may be financed by grants made to Media Action by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Democratic Governance Content
Democratic governance content is a type of current affairs content on the World Service and Media Action that is aimed at improving democratic accountability by building greater understanding of the political process and institutions and by holding those in power to account. This is through citizens' access to information and the ability to challenge, or debate with, holders of public office. It frequently gives citizens information about public institutions and how they operate, and the opportunity to question those holding power through formats such as debate, panel discussions, call-in shows or other events where leaders are held to account. Democratic governance content is targeted at audiences outside the UK.
Democratic governance is a category of editorial content which may be externally funded by appropriate external funders on the World Service and services which are not funded by the licence fee.
16.4.60 Mandatory Referral: Any proposal for the World Service or Media Action's democratic governance content to be externally funded must be approved by the relevant director after taking advice from Director Editorial Policy and Standards who will consider whether it would compromise the BBC's impartiality, editorial integrity or independence.
BBC Media Action
16.4.61 All editorial content produced by the BBC's international charity, BBC Media Action, must meet the standards in the BBC Editorial Guidelines, regardless of the service on which it will be made available, no matter whether it is the World Service or a local broadcaster's or publisher's service. Where Media Action is not in control of the editorial content (such as where it is acting in its capacity as a training provider), the content is not required to meet the BBC Editorial Guidelines.
