ISAS BCP 9001 – Media – QMS
ISAS BCP 9001 is a Quality Management standard inspired from ISO 9001 and dedicated to broadcasting companies (television, radio), the press (newspaper as well as magazines) and Internet content producers.
The standard deals with the management system in place in the company, not directly with the product (programme or article). Above all, isit setting objectives (copyrights control, audience monitoring, reliability of information sources, etc.), but does not tell how to reach them. This means that each media company is free to organize its tailor-made management system, adapted to its needs, size and context.
Designed by journalists, media professionals and experts from all parts of the world, ISAS BCP 9001 consists in a set of 23 necessary requirements to guaranty the quality and efficiency of quality management within a media company. Those are covering almost all the aspects of the management of a media company (design, production, audience research, communication, HR, quality control, administration and other support activities like maintenance, IT, and others.
The ISAS BCP 9001 standard is the result of the merging, by the standardization committee with the support of the Loterie Romande, of the international standards ISAS BC 9001 and ISAS P 9001, respectively created in 2003 and 2005 under the umbrella of the Geneva-based MEDIA & SOCIETY FOUNDATION (MSF). The MSF initiative is a concrete response to broadcasters’ demand for independent evaluation and recognition of their quality-management system in order (1) to benefit from unbiased, external reviews of their services and productions; (2) to create an ongoing process ensuring that the highest standards of quality would continue to be pursued in the following areas:
Service to listeners, viewers and the general public
Service to the society in which they operate, notably by promoting the free flow of information essential to democracy
Service to other important stakeholders, including staff and advertisers
Any broadcast organization that aims to adopt a quality management system, making sure that the organization is managed in such a way as to meet the highest quality standards, does it on a voluntary basis. It should be a strategic decision taken by senior management with the support of staff. In order to meet the standard requirements, the company may apply to be audited by an independent, accredited and professional certification body. Following a successful audit, a Conformity Certificate valid for three years (and renwable), with an annual conformity check will be delivered.
