15.1 Introduction
The BBC's reputation and the strength of its brand in the UK and around the world are based upon its fundamental values of impartiality, editorial integrity, and independence. These values are central to the BBC's UK Public Services, the BBC World Service and the BBC's Commercial Services. Audiences everywhere must be able to trust the BBC.
This section of the Editorial Guidelines concerns the editorial decisions and production of BBC editorial content and related BBC activities.[1] It should be read in conjunction with Section 4: Conflicts of Interest, which considers how to ensure that the external activities and interests of those working for the BBC and involved in producing content or related activities do not bring their or the BBC's editorial integrity into question. Collaborations with other parties and financing are covered in Section 16: External Relationships, Including Commercial Relationships, and Financing.
15.2 Principles
15.2.1 The BBC's impartiality, editorial integrity and independence must not be compromised by outside interests and arrangements.
15.2.2 The BBC must maintain independent editorial control over its output.
15.2.3 Brands, products, organisations, services and trade marks can be referred to where it is editorially justified, but must not be given undue prominence.
15.2.4 Travel, accommodation and most other services should normally be paid for. This does not apply to product placement and prop placement.
15.2.5 People working for the BBC must not accept gifts or hospitality where there may be a business advantage.
15.2.6 The BBC must not commission, produce or co-produce output for its UK Public Services which contains product placement.
BBC UK Public Services and BBC World Service
15.2.7 The BBC UK Public Services as set out in the BBC Charter and Framework Agreement, are primarily funded by licence fee revenue, and the BBC World Service is funded principally by licence fee revenue together with agreed supplementary funding.
Brands, products, organisations, services, trade marks, activities, views or opinions must not be promoted on the UK Public Services or the World Service.
Commercial Services
15.2.8 Commercial Services are activities that the BBC is permitted to carry out through separate commercial subsidiaries, which operate to make a profit to supplement the licence fee. They are not funded by licence fee revenue either directly or indirectly and are undertaken with a view to generating a profit.
The BBC's Commercial Services can refer to other brands, products, organisations, services, trade marks or activities as part of a commercial arrangement but they must not promote brands, products, organisations, services and trade marks in their editorial content. If they do make such references, they must follow the guidelines on product placement and on advertising and sponsorship which explain that it is not appropriate to make deals with some types of organisations.
(See 15.4.32-15.4.37)
(See Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services)
15.3 Mandatory Referrals
Mandatory referrals must be referred in advance. Mandatory referrals are an essential part of the BBC's editorial and compliance process and must be observed.
15.3.1 When planning to feature a brand, product, organisation, service or trade mark in a number of pieces of editorial content (excluding daily news output), broadcast or published in a limited period, such as a single day, referral must be made to the relevant output controller(s) and Editorial Policy, who will consider the cumulative effect.
(See 15.4.2)
15.3.2 Any proposal to use advertising clips in programme trails on UK Public Services or the World Service must be referred to the relevant Head of Editorial Standards/Compliance and Complaints.
(See 15.4.5)
15.3.3 Any proposal to accept a trip that is paid for or heavily discounted by a third party must be referred to a senior editorial figure or, for independent production companies, to the commissioning editor who may consult Editorial Policy.
(See 15.4.19)
15.3.4 Any proposal to direct UK audiences toward charities that are not listed on an Action Line must be referred to Editorial Policy.
(See 15.4.28)
15.3.5 Any proposal to carry output on UK Public Services which requires signalling for product placement must be approved by the Director-General.
(See 15.4.29)
15.3.6 Any proposal to broadcast/publish a programme that was originally transmitted on a UK commercial service unconnected with the BBC which includes product placement must be referred in advance to the relevant channel controller and to Editorial Policy.
(See 15.4.31)
15.3.7 All proposals to include product placement on BBC Commercial Services must be approved by a senior editorial figure or, for independent production companies, by the commissioning editor. In BBC Studios the senior editorial figure must also consult the Head of Editorial Standards/Compliance and Complaints. The senior editorial figure/commissioning editor is responsible for ensuring any relevant onward referrals are made.
(See 15.4.32)
15.3.8 Any proposal for a BBC Commercial Service, operating in the UK, including but not limited to video on demand, to insert product placement into any content produced by the BBC, or by an independent producer, which was originally commissioned by a BBC UK Public Service, must be referred to Editorial Policy and the Head of Editorial Standards/Compliance and Complaints, BBC Studios.
(See 15.4.36)
- [1] The sections of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code that relate to this are 9: Commercial References on TV and 10: Commercial Communications in Radio Programming ↩