Other BBC Editorial Guidelines Relevant To Live Output
- The BBC is obliged by law to keep recordings of all broadcast output including programmes, trails and continuity announcements: television for 90 days and radio for 42 days.
- The BBC should not normally use live unscripted two-ways to report allegations.
- In cases of hijacking, kidnapping, hostage taking and sieges:
- we do not interview a perpetrator live on air.
- we do not broadcast any video and/or audio provided by a perpetrator live on air.
- we broadcast recordings made by perpetrators, whether of staged events, violent acts or their victims, only after referral to a senior editorial figure.
- we may install a delay when broadcasting live material of sensitive stories, for example a school siege or plane hijack. This is particularly important when the outcome is unpredictable and we may record distressing material that is unsuitable for broadcast without careful editing or contextualisation.
- When reporting live from demonstrations, disturbances and riots we cut away and record material for use in an edited report, if the level of violence or disorder becomes too graphic, or we may install a delay.
- Any proposal to feature people in a live broadcast without their knowledge, whether in person or on the phone for comedy and entertainment programmes, (including wind up calls) must be approved in advance by Controller Editorial Policy.
- Any proposal to broadcast live an unsolicited call from a prisoner must be referred to a senior editorial figure or for Independents to the commissioning editor who may consult Controller Editorial Policy.
- We should follow the Ofcom guidance referred to in rule 2.13 of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code to minimise the risk to viewers who have photosensitive epilepsy which may be triggered by flashing images or strobing. However in live output when such content is unavoidable and editorially justified but impossible to remedy technically, for example a news report or press conference featuring flash photography, it may not be reasonably practicable to follow this guidance. In such rare cases we must give our audience a verbal and, if appropriate, a text warning at the start of the live programme or live programme item.
7 March 2006 (Revised 25 November 2008)