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Terms of Reference

Duties :

1. The duties of the Committee shall be:

To consider and adjudicate on complaints received with regard to the allocation by broadcasters of party election broadcasts, the scheduling of party election broadcasts, or their duration.
To consider and adjudicate on complaints received in relation to due impartiality during an election period where Content and Standards Group consider that a substantive issue is raised and where the complaint, if upheld, might require redress before the election.
Other matters as directed by the Ofcom Board.

Authority

2. The Committee is authorised by the Ofcom Board to adjudicate on appeals on matters within its duties. All decisions of the Committee are final and not subject to internal review.

3. The Committee is authorised to seek such information as it requires and may employ legal or other professional advisers to inform its activities within its remit.

Membership

4. The Committee shall comprise up to five members. The Committee shall be chaired by the Chair of the Content Board (or, should he not be available, then such other non-executive Ofcom Board member as appointed by the Chairman of the Ofcom Board ). Other members of the Committee shall be drawn from the Ofcom Board , the Content Board and/or Ofcom Colleagues as determined by the Chair of the Committee (subject to the quorum requirements).

5. A quorum shall be three members, provided that the three members comprise one non-executive Ofcom Board member and two non-executive Content Board members.

Attendance at meetings

6. The Committee shall, if it thinks appropriate to do so, ask Ofcom Colleagues (including executive Ofcom or Content Board members) or specialists from outside Ofcom to attend meetings. Other Ofcom Board members shall have a right of attendance.

7. The Secretary to the Corporation or such other person as the Committee decides shall be the Secretary to the Committee.

8. Members’ attendance at meetings through telephone or video link is acceptable for the purposes of determining a quorum. Decisions may be taken via email exchanges.

9. Decisions by members will normally be taken by consensus, although any member may call for a vote to be taken. In such cases, the Chair has a casting vote.

Frequency of Meetings

10. Meetings shall be held on an ad hoc basis as and when required.

Reporting Procedures

11. The Secretary to the Committee shall circulate the minutes to members of the Committee and to the Ofcom Board and Content Board.

22 February 2007