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Ofcom clears STV in 'cash for programmes' row

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

July 26, 2010 | 4 min read

Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom today exonerated STV from claims that its editorial independence had been compromised by the Scottish Government following allegations about its Homecoming programmes.

The row erupted in February when Sunday newspapers published correspondence between First Minister Alex Salmond and STV chief executive Rob Woodward, obtained under the Freedom of Information act.

One letter from Woodward to Salmond offered to “explore how we can incorporate our innovative thinking around television exposure for the benefit of the Government”.

The emails and letters caused opposition MSPs to cry foul and put the spotlight on STV's strand of Homecoming programmes - Made in Scotland, Scotland Revealed and The Greatest Scot - which were sponsored by Government tourism initiative Homecoming Scotland.

Today Ofcom said the Homecoming programmes had not broken the rules - but added that 18 short public information-style programmes were in breach of its broadcasting code.

In a statement, the watchdog said: "Following allegations in the press that the Scottish Government had influenced the content of STV’s programming, in particular the Homecoming series, Ofcom launched an extensive investigation of 57 Government sponsored programmes broadcast on STV in 2008 and 2009.

"Ofcom found that the Homecoming programmes, which had featured in the press allegations, were not in breach of the Code."

It added: "However, as part of its wider investigation, Ofcom found that 18 other programmes, the majority of which were one-minute in duration covering public information-type subjects, were in breach of sponsorship rules in the Code.

"With regard to any other STV programming, such as news, current affairs and its coverage of Scottish politics, Ofcom found that there was no evidence or implication that the Scottish Government had influenced the content in such a way as to impair STV’s responsibility and editorial independence."

For the 18 programmes considered to breach the code, Ofcom has summoned STV to a meeting to a "to discuss its approach to programme sponsorship, and the sponsorship compliance procedures and processes it has in place".

STV said it "welcomed" Ofcom's findings. In a statement, the broadcaster said: "We are pleased that Ofcom has refuted any suggestion of political interference in our programme schedule.

"As STV has asserted, Ofcom’s findings now confirm that allegations made in a Sunday newspaper, suggesting that the Scottish Government influenced programming are completely unfounded and inaccurate."

STV added that it had taken on board Ofcom's findings about those programmes in breach of the code.

"In Ofcom’s wider review of all relevant sponsored content spanning a number of years, we note the regulator’s findings of some technical breaches unrelated to the claims of political interference in a minority of short form, one minute programme inserts dating from 2008.

"No complaints from viewers were received by STV in respect of any of the 57 programmes that were considered by Ofcom.

"Of the 906 minutes (over 15 hours) of material, broadcast over a two year period, under investigation by Ofcom, just 18 minutes of short form social action programme inserts raised concerns. This was completely unrelated to any unfounded suggestion of political interference."

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