Section 7: Duty of the Corporation as to programmes and publications

(1) The Corporation shall satisfy itself that the programmes broadcast by the Corporation and the stations comply with the following requirements, that is to say-
(a) that nothing is included in the programmes which is likely to offend against good taste or decency or is likely to encourage or incite to crime or to lead to disorder or to be offensive to public feeling or to contain an offensive reference to any person, alive or dead;
(b) that the programmes maintain a proper balance in their subject matter and a generally high standard of quality;
(c) that any news given in the programmes is presented with accuracy, impartiality and objectivity;
(d) that due impartiality is preserved in respect of matters of political or industrial controversy or relating to current public policy; and
(e) that subject to subsection (2) of this section, no matter designed to serve the interest of any particular political party is included in the programmes; and for the purpose of this subsection, the Corporation may set up a committee, which shall consist of the Director- General as the Chairman and all the Managing Directors, to draw up guidelines and advise the Corporation on such other matters connected with the foregoing as the Corporation may, from time to time, refer to the committee.
(2) Nothing in paragraph (e) of subsection (1) of this section, shall prevent-
(a) the inclusion in the programmes of properly balanced discussions or debates in which the persons taking part express opinions and put forward arguments of a political character; and
(b) the inclusion in the programmes of party political broadcasts which seek to explain the views and policies of the various political parties in accordance with the scheme of such broadcasts which apportions the facilities and time allowed between the representatives of the political parties in such a manner as appears to the Corporation equitably to represent their respective claims to the interest of the public.
(3) The Corporation shall secure the exclusion from any publication which may be issued by it or on its behalf, and without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of this section, from the programmes broadcast by it or on its behalf, of its own opinion as to the matters referred to in paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of this section, or of the opinion as to any such matters of any of its members or employees or of the opinion as in such matter of any member or employee or any agent of the Corporation.