Mr Williams
Via email: [FOI #25094 email]
15 January 2010
Dear Mr Williams,
Request for Information – RFI20091757
Thank you for your request of 23rd December 2009 under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 seeking
the following information:
Please provide copies of correspondence or documents relating to meetings and telephone calls between the
British Broadcasting Corporation and the Isle of Man Government on the subject of the television licensing
regime, and also on the provision of licence-funded local radio.
Having made enquiries with a number of departments, including the Director General’s office and the
Licence Fee Unit, I can confirm that to the best of our knowledge, no correspondence or documents
relating to meetings and telephone calls between the British Broadcasting Corporation and the Isle of Man
Government on the subject of the television licensing regime, or on the provision of licence-funded local
radio, are held by the BBC.
Appeal Rights
If you are not satisfied that the BBC has complied with the Act in responding to your request you have the
right to an internal review by a BBC senior manager or legal adviser. Please contact us at the address
above, explaining what you would like us to review under the Act and including your reference number. If
you are not satisfied with the internal review, you can appeal to the Information Commissioner. The
contact details are: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire,
SK9 5AF, telephone 01625 545 700 or
see http://www.ico.gov.uk/
Kind regards
Louise Wright
Advisor, 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
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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
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Information operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week handling telephone and written comments
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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
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32 languages on the BBC World Service and the 24 hour television service, BBC World News.
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
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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. All BBC output in the UK 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.
