Clearcast

Clearcast is an NGO which pre-approves most British television advertising. It came into being on 1 January 2008 and took over the responsibilities of the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre. Clearcast is now owned by six UK commercial broadcasters: ITV, ITV Breakfast Ltd., Channel 4, Channel Five (UK), British Sky Broadcasting and Turner.

Clearcast approval is applied both to scripts and to the final commercials. Clearcast has to check that commercials comply with the BCAP code (rules) that applies to television advertising. These include both good taste and decency criteria, and also a variety of technical and even medical constraints (advertisements may not, for example, contain flashing which would set off attacks of photosensitive epilepsy).

The Managing Director of Clearcast is Chris Mundy. The current Chairman is Mark White.

Advertising agencies submit pre-production scripts before any significant expense is incurred in the production of a TV commercial to Clearcast. Once submitted the agencies allocated Copy Group Executive will give initial comments on the script detailing broadcast timing restrictions, advice on appropriate use of specific shots or imagery and requesting substantiation. Substantiation must be submitted where a claim is made in a Broadcast commercial. An agency will then either adapt the script (because it does not comply or contains a claim which cannot be 'backed up') and submit relevant substantiation documents to the Clearcast executive.

A process of second-reading then takes place whereby the executive may request further information or approve the script.

The process of script submissions is to reduce the risk of agencies spending a significant outlay on a TV commercial which is later rejected because it is unacceptable.

Once a script submission is accepted an agency will produce a final (or 'clocked') TV commercial which also needs to be submitted for approval to Clearcast. The agency must submit the 'clocked' ad digitally via FTP using the digital copy clearance system.

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