External Funding for BBC World Service Group Which is Not Co-Production or Sponsorship
For the meaning of external funding see Meanings.
(See Section 16 External Relationships and Financing: 16.1)
16.3.49 World Service Group may accept external funding to make editorial content that conforms to the BBC World Service Statement of Policy for Sources of Finance Other Than the Licence Fee [26].
All external funding relationships must comply with the Guidelines for All Editorial External Relationships.
(See Section 16 External Relationships and Financing: 16.3.1-16.3.6)
External funding must not be accepted where there is a connection between the external funder’s objectives and the editorial content that would compromise the BBC’s independence.
16.3.50 News and current affairs content must not be externally funded. Consumer advice content must not be externally funded by external funders whose products, services, or activities may be reviewed in the editorial content.
16.3.51 Content which is not news, current affairs or consumer advice content can be funded by other appropriate parties that meet the criteria in the Guidelines for all Editorial External Relationships.
(See Section 16 External Relationships and Financing: 16.3.1-16.3.6)
Appropriate external funders may be non-commercial or commercial organisations. However, the external funder, and its name, trade mark, image, activities and products, must not receive any promotion within or around the content either within the editorial or through a sponsor credit.
Organisations which are principally involved in the following are prohibited from externally funding content:
- political parties and political organisations
- lobby groups
- faith, religion and equivalent systems of belief
- tobacco firms or those mainly known for tobacco-related products
- adult products and services
- weapons manufacturers.
[26] The BBC World Service Statement of Policy for Sources of Finance Other Than the Licence Fee (‘Alternative Finance’) 2017.
16.3.52 Any reference to an external funder in World Service Group editorial content must be referred to a senior editorial figure, or for independent production companies to the commissioning editor, who will consider whether the reference is editorially justified and is non-promotional.
16.3.53 Any proposal for World Service Group editorial content to be externally funded by a non-UK government department or agency must be approved by the relevant director who will consider whether the external funding would harm the BBC’s reputation for impartiality and independence.
(See Section 16 External Relationships and Financing: 16.3.56)
16.3.54 External funding arrangements must be made clear with an informational and non-promotional acknowledgement. The acknowledgement must not suggest that the programme has been made by the external funder. To avoid promotion of the funder, no external funder logos may be used. Acknowledgements for external funders must be given in a standard form adjacent to the editorial content. For audio and video content this should normally be in the end credits. Acknowledgements must not appear to be a sponsorship credit; contact details for the external funder, including but not limited to web addresses may not be included.
External funding acknowledgements must not incorporate any element of the programme or other BBC branding or be voiced by someone appearing in the programme.
World Service Group external funding acknowledgements must be approved by the relevant output controller, or by the relevant BBC Media Action country director for Media Action content that does not appear on a BBC service, who will consider whether the acknowledgement would promote the external funder, which is prohibited.
We do not normally allow external funders a preview of BBC content.
16.3.55 BBC World Service Group services may broadcast programmes which are made either with or by the BBC’s international charity BBC Media Action. BBC Media Action is primarily funded from grants and voluntary contributions.
BBC Media Action programmes broadcast on BBC World Service Group services may be financed by grants made to BBC Media Action by the Department for International Development or the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Democratic Governance Content
For the meaning of democratic governance content see Meanings above.
16.3.56 Any proposal for World Service Group democratic governance content to be externally funded must be approved by the relevant director after taking advice from Director Editorial Policy and Standards who will consider whether it would compromise the BBC’s impartiality, editorial integrity or independence.
Use of BBC News Brands by BBC Global News Ltd for Marketing Events
16.3.57 The impartiality of the BBC News brand must not be compromised by BBC Global News’ marketing and off-air activities.
Such activities should meet the Editorial Policy Guidance for Use of BBC News Brands by BBC Global News for Marketing Events.
(See Guidance: Use of BBC News Brands by BBC Global News for Marketing Events)
Any proposal to use a BBC News brand for marketing purposes in connection with any BBC Global News off-air sponsored event, or any third-party event, must be approved by a senior editorial figure who will consider whether the proposal would compromise the BBC’s impartiality, editorial integrity or independence or otherwise bring the BBC into disrepute.
BBC Media Action
16.3.58 All editorial content produced by the BBC’s international charity, BBC Media Action, must meet the standards in the BBC Editorial Guidelines, regardless of the service on which it will be made available, no matter whether it is the World Service or a local broadcaster’s service. Where BBC Media Action is not in control of the editorial content (such as where it is acting in its capacity as a training provider), the content is not required to meet the BBC Editorial Guidelines.