Clearcast
Encyclopedia
Clearcast is an NGO which pre-approves most British television
advertising . It came into being on January 1 2008 and took over the responsibilities of the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre
. Clearcast is now owned by six UK commercial broadcasters: ITV
, ITV Breakfast
Ltd., Channel 4
, Channel Five (UK), British Sky Broadcasting
and Turner.
Clearcast approval is applied both to scripts and to the final commercials. Clearcast has to check that commercials comply with the BCAP code (rules) that applies to television advertising. These include both good taste and decency criteria, and also a variety of technical and even medical constraints (advertisements may not, for example, contain flashing which would set off attacks of photosensitive epilepsy
) .
The Managing Director of Clearcast is Chris Mundy. The current Chairman is Mark White.
A process of second-reading then takes place whereby the executive may request further information or approve the script.
The process of script submissions is to reduce the risk of agencies spending a significant outlay on a TV commercial which is later rejected because it is unacceptable.
Once a script submission is accepted an agency will produce a final (or 'clocked') TV commercial which also needs to be submitted for approval to Clearcast. The agency must submit the 'clocked' ad digitally via FTP using the digital copy clearance system.
Once received and ingested into the Clearcast system the ad is first checked for supers, a process which measures the height (in television lines) of required legal text ('the small print') to ensure it complies. The legal text height is 16 TV lines, measured on a flat topped, lower case letter and anything less will be rejected. Legal text is also timed to ensure it is legible to the viewer.
Some ads fail at this point and the agency is forced to change the legal text to ensure it complies in terms of line height and duration on screen. After this stage the ad is subjected to a Hardings or 'flash' test which ensures it will not cause sufferers of photosensitive epilepsy to have seizures .
After this stage the commercial is screened by a Traffic Assistant who checks the ad and accompanying post-production script and relevant consignment details are full, valid and correct. Consignment details include relevant music, artists names and voice-over names.
Once this process is complete the ad is allocated to the relevant Copy Group Executive where it is viewed and placed 'on the reel' for the following day's morning meeting. The term 'on the reel' relates to a viewing which takes place every morning at 10am where a group of executives view each commercial and pass comments on whether it complies with the BCAP code. Most ads comply (because they are as per the initial script) but this viewing serves as a point of spotting otherwise unforeseen problems such as music which is not permitted or a style of cutting which does not show the product in an accurate light. It is at this point that any relevant restrictions, for example timing restrictions, are applied to the commercial.
After the morning meeting, usually at 11:30am the copy group return to their desks and pass on feedback to the agencies and approve compliant commercials.
The same process also applies to Video on Demand (VoD) commercials destined for services provided by Clearcast's shareholders as well as Virgin Media .
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
advertising . It came into being on January 1 2008 and took over the responsibilities of the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre
Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre
The Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre was an NGO which until December 31, 2007 pre-approved most British television advertising. The work of the BACC has been taken over by Clearcast Ltd....
. Clearcast is now owned by six UK commercial broadcasters: ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, ITV Breakfast
ITV Breakfast
ITV Breakfast Limited is the national ITV breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom...
Ltd., Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, Channel Five (UK), British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
and Turner.
Clearcast approval is applied both to scripts and to the final commercials. Clearcast has to check that commercials comply with the BCAP code (rules) that applies to television advertising. These include both good taste and decency criteria, and also a variety of technical and even medical constraints (advertisements may not, for example, contain flashing which would set off attacks of photosensitive epilepsy
Photosensitive epilepsy
Photosensitive epilepsy is a form of epilepsy in which seizures are triggered by visual stimuli that form patterns in time or space, such as flashing lights, bold, regular patterns, or regular moving patterns.-Symptoms:...
) .
The Managing Director of Clearcast is Chris Mundy. The current Chairman is Mark White.
The Copy Clearance Process
Advertising agencies submit pre-production scripts before any significant expense is incurred in the production of a TV commercial to Clearcast . Once submitted the agencies allocated Copy Group Executive will give initial comments on the script detailing broadcast timing restrictions, advice on appropriate use of specific shots or imagery and requesting substantiation. Substantiation must be submitted where a claim is made in a Broadcast commercial. An agency will then either adapt the script (because it does not comply or contains a claim which cannot be 'backed up') and submit relevant substantiation documents to the Clearcast executive.A process of second-reading then takes place whereby the executive may request further information or approve the script.
The process of script submissions is to reduce the risk of agencies spending a significant outlay on a TV commercial which is later rejected because it is unacceptable.
Once a script submission is accepted an agency will produce a final (or 'clocked') TV commercial which also needs to be submitted for approval to Clearcast. The agency must submit the 'clocked' ad digitally via FTP using the digital copy clearance system.
Once received and ingested into the Clearcast system the ad is first checked for supers, a process which measures the height (in television lines) of required legal text ('the small print') to ensure it complies. The legal text height is 16 TV lines, measured on a flat topped, lower case letter and anything less will be rejected. Legal text is also timed to ensure it is legible to the viewer.
Some ads fail at this point and the agency is forced to change the legal text to ensure it complies in terms of line height and duration on screen. After this stage the ad is subjected to a Hardings or 'flash' test which ensures it will not cause sufferers of photosensitive epilepsy to have seizures .
After this stage the commercial is screened by a Traffic Assistant who checks the ad and accompanying post-production script and relevant consignment details are full, valid and correct. Consignment details include relevant music, artists names and voice-over names.
Once this process is complete the ad is allocated to the relevant Copy Group Executive where it is viewed and placed 'on the reel' for the following day's morning meeting. The term 'on the reel' relates to a viewing which takes place every morning at 10am where a group of executives view each commercial and pass comments on whether it complies with the BCAP code. Most ads comply (because they are as per the initial script) but this viewing serves as a point of spotting otherwise unforeseen problems such as music which is not permitted or a style of cutting which does not show the product in an accurate light. It is at this point that any relevant restrictions, for example timing restrictions, are applied to the commercial.
After the morning meeting, usually at 11:30am the copy group return to their desks and pass on feedback to the agencies and approve compliant commercials.
The same process also applies to Video on Demand (VoD) commercials destined for services provided by Clearcast's shareholders as well as Virgin Media .