Details of what we need on the delivery date together with information on where you deliver your tapes/forms. We also explain the Technical Review process and requirements for Interactive Programmes and Live / Late Feeds & OBs.

The current version of the Television Compliance Form (Version 3) was updated in April 2008.

Please note that the six questions concerning audience interactivity must all be completed before the form can be submitted. As part of the sign-off, the Independent company or in-house executive producer must confirm that the programme has been made and delivered in compliance with the BBC Editorial Guidelines.

All questions on the Compliance Form reflect key aspects of the BBC Editorial Guidelines. These guidelines incorporate the relevant areas of the OFCOM Broadcasting Code which became effective on 25th July 2005 and with which the BBC must comply.

We strongly recommend that you refer to the Guidance Notes as you fill in the form.

A completed Television Compliance Form is required for all recorded programmes so that the BBC can check that the programme complies with the BBC Editorial Guidelines and is suitable for the proposed slot.

• In-house programme makers should complete the form online through the Compliance Manager site on Gateway.
• Independent producers should submit a completed Microsoft Word template to the relevant address below.
• Independent producers without compatible word-processing software can receive a fax copy of the form to complete and return by contacting (020) 8225 9164.

Additional information

You should complete the form in conjunction with the Guidance Notes.

Help on completing the form is here.

Independent producers commissioned via the Nations should check requirements with their Commissioning Executive.

The current version of the I&RP Ofcom Compliance Form was updated in August 2010.

Each production is required to submit "I&RP Ofcom Compliance Forms" so that the BBC has a formal record of the Independent and Regional Production status of that programme. These I&RP Ofcom forms must be submitted by email.

Please use this blank I&RP Ofcom compliance form [Excel format, 49KB]. If you do not have compatible spreadsheet software or have trouble accessing this form, please call Bev Salt on 0208 225 8879 for advice.

Accurate Transmission Form information is essential to ensure the correct programme is transmitted from the Playout area (or Scot TX for BBC Scotland). These areas handle thousands of tapes every week. Transmission forms are not required for live programmes.

Information we need

In-house programme-makers and independents using the P4A system can find full information on our requirements on P4A. Other Independent producers may find the information and example Transmission Form here useful.

Note that special attention should be given to clearly document the aspect ratio.

Full information on where and how you submit the transmission form is available for your programme in the One-Stop Shop.

Independents will receive a P4A disc approximately 4 weeks prior to delivery date which contains all the necessary paperwork templates including the transmission form. The paperwork should be completed on the disc and returned by your programme's delivery date.

Our transmission tape requirements vary by service - please check specific requirements for the transmission tape for Network (including CBBC), BBC Scotland and the Open University.

Short form AV content is a central part of BBC Vision's online offer. As well as programme clips, short form video may include additional material, web originations and archive clips.

A non-edited extract clip is now a standard deliverable for every commissioned programme, excluding news and sports programmes.

The clip will sit on the relevant episode page on bbc.co.uk/programmes and may be used elsewhere on bbc.co.uk or on 3rd party sites such as YouTube, if appropriate.

Delivery

1 or more clip(s) per episode should be delivered, along with the Short Form Content Compliance Form and metadata should be delivered to the Repeats & Reversioning Unit (R&R) via clipperprogrammedelivery@bbc.co.uk.

The clips you deliver in accordance with these guidelines must be delivered in the format as advised by your Business Affairs Manager. If you would like to talk directly to somebody about short form video please contact your delivery coordinator.

Delivery should be made alongside Tape Delivery of the Programme.

Clip format

The preferred format, unless otherwise advised by your Business Affairs Manager, is:

• DV25 compliant MOV
• Container format: .mov
• Video
  • Bit rate / Quality: 100%
  • Codec: Quicktime DV
  • Frame size: 720x576 (16:9 or 4:3)
  • Frames per second: 25 (interlaced or progressive scan)
• Audio
  • Codec: Uncompressed (PCM)
  • Channels: Stereo
  • Sample rate: 48 KHz
  • Sample depth: 16 bit

Clip content and duration

It is the producer's role to select the clip, which should present a highlight that is attention grabbing and self-contained.

The purpose of the clip is to

• raise awareness of your programme
• deliver value in its own right
• be a permanent record of your programme around which users will interact with comments, links, recommendations etc
• build visibility of and enduring value around your programme on the web

Clips

• do not need to be Pre-Watershed
• should be made bearing in mind the BBC's obligations to its audience on taste and decency. See Compliance section below
• should not include title sequences or credit sequences.

Clips should be short - most will be between 1-3 mins long. There is no ideal duration for a clip; the exact length will depend on the content and Rights. The clips should however be no more than 5 minutes per 30 minutes of episode/programme.

Short form video compliance

All short form video must be complied and labeled correctly before being made available online.

For advice on which guidance label to use, and whether it is appropriate, please contact the R&R Unit.

Short Form Content Compliance forms [Excel format, 182KB] must be delivered with the content. Please make sure you have read the Short Form Compliance Guidelines [PDF, 35KB] before you fill in the compliance form.

Rights and clearances

Your production agreement with the BBC requires you to clear clips for public service rights as defined in the agreement.

• COMMERCIAL MUSIC which is being cleared under the BBC's music blanket agreements, can use commercial music on bbc.co.uk and on the BBC's official channel on YouTube, subject to some limitations.
• ARCHIVE - If the programme clip contains material from another programme, all rights must be cleared as in the Rights section above.
• COMEDY and DRAMA clips are restricted to a maximum of 2 clips per episode with strict limits on duration due to the relevant underlying rights frameworks. In other genres there may be potential to offer longer clips and more than 2 clips per episode.

Commercial disks can be included as long as public service rights have been cleared in the usual way.

If you need any assistance in relation to clearance of content, specific advice on short form video or music rights etc, please refer in the first instance to your Business Affairs Manager (BAM).

The Repeats & Reversioning Unit will be able to help with

• type of clip that should be chosen
• what to do if your programme is live, or delivered close to transmission
• guidance on labelling
• format options

Gill Holmes
Head of BBC Vision Repeats and Reversioning Unit
Phone: (020) 8752 4995

Oran Soffair
BBC Vision Repeats and Reversioning Unit
Phone: (020) 8752 4568
Email: oran.soffair@BBC.co.uk

All non live in-house programmes for transmission on BBC ONE or BBC TWO later than 17:30 will be required to deliver a transmission master and a clone in the same format. Only linear TV output needs to be cloned. Full details here.

• We may request a standby programme (with recording report) for any programme with potentially sensitive content (e.g. programmes including plane crashes).
• This may be agreed at the point of commissioning or at a later stage, closer to transmission.
• Standby programmes may also be required for live and quick turnaround programmes, and for all programmes not transmitting from the Broadcast Centre Playout area (network programmes) or Scot TX (BBC Scotland programmes).
• Standbys must be approved by TV Planning & Scheduling (or Commissioning & Scheduling for BBC Scotland programmes), and delivered as a non-topical programme.