Ofcom raps DM Global for recording compliance

DM Global has been rapped again by Ofcom for failure to provide recordings of its output on request in June last year.

Ofcom said following receipt of a fairness complaint, Ofcom initially requested recordings of the programme ‘Sentinelle TV’ broadcast on 10th and 23rf June 2014. No response was received from the Licensee. Ofcom therefore made a further request for the recordings, but again no response was received.

DM Global responded by saying, ���…I have explained previously that I had not deliberately breached the regulations and have not deliberately withheld information from you for failing to supply the recordings�۝. It also added that the individual responsible for compliance had been ill and was undergoing hospital treatment and as a result ���…was unable to respond to you [Ofcom] in a timely manner or allocate someone to respond to you�۝.

Ofcom said that it was concerned that contrary to the directions given to DM Global to respond to Ofcom by the deadlines given, DM Global appears repeatedly to have ignored them and has attributed its failure to respond in a timely manner to technical difficulties and staff illness. While Ofcom accepts that broadcasters may, from time to time, experience difficulties with their data systems and staff illness, we expect them to have contingency plans in place to ensure that, at the very least, they can continue to receive (and respond
to) communications from the regulator. DM Global therefore breach Condition 20(1)(a) of its licence.

Ofcom has become very concerned about DM Global�۪s ability to comply with the conditions in its licence requiring it to provide recordings to Ofcom on request. It intends to monitor DM Global�۪s compliance with these conditions to determine whether any additional regulatory action is necessary. It was also rapped by Ofcom for breach of TLCS Licence Condition 20(1)(a).