Paul Gaffney
By email to [FOI #21463 email]
22 October 2009
Dear Mr Gaffney
Freedom of Information Act 2000 – RFI20091448
I refer to your request under the Freedom of Information Act (‘the Act’) of 20th October 2009,
seeking the following information:
'If you're in trouble and no-one else can help ...who do you call?" Just wonder if that catch phrase was the
'A-Team' or 'Ghostbusters?' Any help wwould be greatly appreciated ..it's been bugging me for the last
thirteen months.
The Information Policy and Compliance Team deals with requests for information under the Act
about the BBC, its management and running. Information about BBC content is not covered by the
Act by virtue of Part VI of Schedule 11 of the Act, so the type of information you have requested
would not be covered; the A-Team and Ghostbusters are in any case not BBC programmes so the
BBC would not hold this information.
I’m sorry that we are unable to help on this occasion; you may be able to find the information you
want from a web search.
1 For more information about how the Act applies to the BBC please see the enclosure which follows this letter.
Please note that this guidance is not intended to be a comprehensive legal interpretation of how the Act applies to the
BBC.
Appeal Rights
The BBC does not offer an internal review when the information requested is not covered by the
Act. If you disagree with our decision you can appeal to the Information Commissioner. Contact
details are: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire,
SK9 5AF telephone 01625 545 700. http://www.ico.gov.uk
Please note that should the Information Commissioner’s Office decide that the Act does cover
this information, exemptions under the Act might then apply.
Yours sincerely,
Rachel Hallett
BBC Information Policy & Compliance
Freedom of Information
From January 2005 the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 gives a general right of access to all types of
recorded information held by public authorities. The Act also sets out exemptions from that right and
places a number of obligations on public authorities. The term “public authority” is defined in the Act; it
includes all public bodies and government departments in the UK. The BBC, Channel 4 and S4C are the
only broadcasters covered by the Act.
Application to the BBC
The BBC has a long tradition of making information available and accessible. It seeks to be open and
accountable and already provides the public with a great deal of information about its activities. BBC
Information operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week handling telephone and written comments and
queries, and the BBC’s website bbc.co.uk provides an extensive online information resource.
It is important to bear this in mind when considering the Freedom of Information Act and how it applies to
the BBC. The Act does not apply to the BBC in the way it does to most public authorities in one significant
respect. It recognises the different position of the BBC (as well as Channel 4 and S4C) by saying that it
covers information “held for purposes other than those of journalism, art or literature”. This means the
Act does not apply to information held for the purposes of creating the BBC’s output (TV, radio, online
etc), or information that supports and is closely associated with these creative activities.
A great deal of information within this category is currently available from the BBC and will continue to be
so. If this is the type of information you are looking for, you can check whether it is available on the BBC’s
website bbc.co.uk or contact BBC Information.
The Act does apply to all of the other information we hold about the management and running of the BBC.
The BBC
The BBC's aim is to enrich people's lives with great programmes and services that inform, educate and
entertain. It broadcasts radio and television programmes on analogue and digital services in the UK. It
delivers interactive services across the web, television and mobile devices. The BBC's online service is
Europe's most widely visited content site. Across the world, the BBC broadcasts radio programmes in 33
languages on the BBC World Service and the 24 hour television service, BBC World.
The BBC's remit as a public service broadcaster is defined in the BBC Charter and Agreement. It is the
responsibility of the BBC Trust to ensure that the organisation delivers against this remit by setting key
objectives, approving strategy and policy, and monitoring and assessing performance. The Trustees also
safeguard the BBC's independence and ensure the Corporation is accountable to its audiences and to
Parliament. The Trust is supported by a network of advisory bodies across the UK.
Day-to-day operations are run by the Director-General and his senior management team, the Executive
Board. The BBC is funded by an annual Licence Fee. This is determined and regularly reviewed by
Parliament. Each year, the BBC publishes an Annual Report & Accounts, and reports to Parliament on how
it has delivered against its public service remit.
