Regulatory body suggested for bona fide casting directories

Published Tuesday 5 February 2008 at 17:00 by Lalayn Baluch

Casting directories Showcall and Spotlight are pushing for the creation of an accreditation body to protect the rights of bona fide publications in the event of a total ban on up-front fee charges.

The call follows a meeting organised by shadow consumer affairs minister Mark Prisk, and attended by legitimate agents and trade unions Equity and Bectu, to scrutinise government proposals aimed at cracking down on rogue agencies.

According to Prisk, a “very strong consensus” emerged that reputable agencies do not need to charge fees, and people should pay nothing at all. However, representatives from casting directories, which are classified as agents - despite having no involvement in a performer’s career further to publishing photographs and details - have argued that their only source of income is the initial fee, and that the business will not continue without it.

Catherine Comerford, managing director of The Stage, which publishes light entertainment directory Showcall, said: “We don’t want rogues advertising either, and we do our damnedest to try and get rid of them. I’m equally behind outlawing it [up-front fees], but there has to be a way of making sure that by stopping one group you don’t stop the bona fide publishers who have been continuing for years.”

Comerford explained that the companies have suggested a regulatory body be established, which would set out a code of conduct, and members would have to pay to be part of it.

Prisk confirmed that a ban on up-front fees was an option if genuine businesses were protected. He said: “We need to identify legitimate publications or directories, so that we can distinguish them from the minority of rogue agencies. There are a number of options - it may be a legal role, it may be a registration role.”

Prisk also revealed that during the meeting, the organisations demonstrated dissatisfaction with the way the government had dealt with bogus agents, particularly as only one out of 342 cases led to a prosecution last year. He added: “We have agreed that we will now lobby ministers to stop them dithering and actually get on with actually enforcing the rules.”