BBC Sets Up New Division to Regulate Telephony Events

LONDON, October 6: In the
wake of the call-in scandals in the U.K. last year, the BBC has launched a new
technical department that will oversee all of its telephony-related interactive
events.

The Interactive Technical
Advice and Contracts Unit (ITACU) will support the work of the pubcaster’s TV
and radio production teams to enable the reintroduction of participation
services. The new division, located within the Future Media & Technology
department, will oversee the technical and contractual arrangements for
telephony for programs across the BBC and has already begun helping the teams
on Strictly Come Dancing, Eurovision, Last Choir Standing, Maestro and Children in Need.
All program makers for the BBC must use ITACU for any telephony events,
including competitions, votes, awards and donations. ITACU will also deal with
contestant application lines.

ITACU will be allowed to
engage with a third-party telephony service provider, and will manage the
relationship on behalf of the production teams.

David Jordan, the director
of editorial policy and standards, said: "This new unit should be a huge
help to BBC production teams who want to exploit the creative possibilities of
interactivity in their output. Program makers must use the ITACU to arrange and
contract telephony, it is mandatory to do so from today, but it will take a lot
of the strain out of the process and ensure it is being done properly."

—By Mansha Daswani