Please Note: We Are Currently in the Process of Compiling a Comprehensive Document Detailing
S4C Website Production and Technical guidelines
1. Introduction
The S4C Website Production Guidelines are designed to offer clear and concise standards for external developers producing websites for S4C.
The primary function of the Website Production and Technical Guidelines is to ensure that all our websites maintain a high level of accessibility and standards compliance. We are committed to making our websites as accessible to as many people as possible and therefore they must be built using web standards and best practice web accessibility techniques. Not only will this ensure that our websites work in all modern, standards based browsing devices, but it will also ensure that our websites are easier to use for all, including those with disabilities.
2. Commissioning
2.1. Terms of trade
When S4C acquires a broadcast licence for a television programme, in the majority of cases it will also have acquired the exclusive right to:
· Webcast the programme on the terms set out in S4C’s Terms of Trade
· to create and maintain programme related websites
· and develop other interactive applications associated with the programme
For further information see S4C’s Terms of Trade documents:
· http://www.s4c.co.uk/production/c_guidelines.shtml
· http://www.s4c.co.uk/production/e_guidelines.shtml
2.2. Specification and budget
The invitation to submit an Editorial and Business Brief will confirm if a website is to be delivered and the basis on which that request is made (type, details and cost indicator). The website should be developed in accordance with these guidelines and the details discussed with the S4C Content Editor. A description of the website should be incorporated within the Brief for attaching to the contract. The budget for the website should be incorporates within licence fee discussions with the Unit Manager at S4C.
2.3. Contract
The standard licence will include a section on the website, utlining the terms on which the website will be developed and delivered to S4C, and updated following its launch. The standard agreement will incorporate the Website Production and Technical Guidelines and the Terms of Trade.
Where the website is hosted separately from S4C then the arrangements for reporting any data or statistics will need to be discussed and the details incorporated within the contract document.
The standard contract documentation can be found on the S4C Production Website:
http://www.s4c.co.uk/production/
2.4. Production
If the website is to be hosted on the S4C network then you will be asked to develop on S4C’s own testing server. This is to ensure that the web site is compatible with the software on the server and to make it easier for S4C to quality control and test during the production phase.
In some instances it may not be possible to develop or host the web site on the S4C server due to software incompatibility. This must be discussed and approved before-hand.
Each stage of development (milestone) must be submitted to S4C by the agreed date for approval before continuing to work on the next stage. You must send all textual content to S4C’s Content Editor for approval before placing on the web site.
2.5. Delivery, testing and acceptance
Web sites should be thoroughly tested and content checked to ensure that they are consistent with S4C’s Website Production and Technical Guidelines before delivery. The onus is on you to conduct this testing (more information on testing can be found in the Technical Guidelines section of this document).
Delivery and approval dates will be inserted into the contract. As a rule, S4C would consider that websites are to be delivered at least 4 weeks before the launch date so that we can conduct our own internal quality control and testing. Once S4C is happy with the web site all the files from the secure area of the server will be copied to the live server and the web site will be launched. You must notify the Unit Manager immediately if at any time or for any reason it appears that completion of any stage as set out in the contract may be delayed beyond the relevant completion date.
Late delivery of a web site will incur a liquidated damages fee for every day that it is late.
2.6. Maintenance
If a web site you are supplying requires you to conduct updates and maintenance, you will be given access, via a username and password to the live web site. However, all text should be sent to S4C’s Content Editor for review before it is placed on the live web site and any additional content or content areas cleared before publication.
Warranty Period – You must be prepared to provide a warranty of 1 year on each web site. You must be willing and available to fix any part of the web site that is no longer working and / or requires modification. This could include but is not limited to:
· Browser updates
· Standards or accessibility issues relating to dynamic content
· Other small amendments to text and images
2.7. Project Management
Depending on the scale of the project you will be required to demonstrate suitable project management arrangements.
Your project manager will need to regularly submit documentation to the S4C Information Coordinator for review and comment in accordance with the milestones set out in the contract.
2.8. Payment
You will need to submit an invoice(s) according to the payment schedule of the contract. If all the work for that payment has been completed to S4C’s satisfaction then the invoice will be paid. You will be asked to place all the source code for the web site on the server, including the original source code for Flash web sites and games before the agreed final payment is released.
3. Editorial
3.1. Taste and decency
S4C should never put anything on its websites that it would not be prepared to broadcast on its television channels. Programme web site content must be appropriate to the programme and it’s likely audience. It should be clear who the target audience is and the content should be chosen accordingly. Broadly, any material on the web site must be suitable for general audiences including children. Where content is targeted to a specific audience, it should be labelled appropriately so as to avoid offending users or taking them by surprise. Links to external web sites must be suitable for the target audience of the web site that it is linking from.
3.2. Children
If a photograph of a child is used, you must obtain written permission from the child’s parent or guardian beforehand. Only use the child’s first name and don’t disclose any personal information that could be used to identify and locate the child e.g. address, email address, telephone number, school etc. Be non-specific e.g. Sam from Caernarfon.
Forms asking for personal information i.e. competitions, contact and subscription forms should prompt children under 16 years old to ask their parent or guardian for permission before inputting information. Please use the standard privacy notices that S4C provides – see Appendix. Pre-school children’s web sites should never ask the child directly to input content, it should always be targeted towards the parent or guardian instead; e.g. the parent subscribes to the newsletter, enters the competition, or contacts the programme not the child. Any information children send to S4C or the website production company should only be used for the purpose for which it was sent. It should be retained securely for only as long as it is required and should not be revealed to a third party. Please see S4C’s Privacy and Cookies policy – Appendix
Links to external web sites from children’s programme websites should be thoroughly vetted and in accordance with the guidelines set out in 3.11 of this document.
3.3. Writing style
People rarely read web site pages word by word. Instead, they scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences. Research has shown that web users generally prefer writing that is concise and easy to scan. As a result, web site pages have to employ scanning compatible text, using:
· Highlighted keywords
· Meaningful subheadings must be employed to give your web pages structure
· Bulleted (unordered) lists, ordered lists and definition lists where appropriate and semantically correct.
· Chunking: one idea per paragraph (users will skip over any additional ideas if they are not caught by the first few words in the paragraph).
· The inverted pyramid style, starting with the conclusion
· Half the word count (or less) than conventional writing
3.4. Impartiality and accuracy of information
Suppliers should do their utmost to ensure that the content on web sites is impartial and accurate.
3.5. Data protection – privacy policy
Any web site that collects personal information will need to comply with the Data Protection Act and must have a Privacy Notice displayed at the point before personal data is entered. Please see Appendix for the exact wording to use. You must remember that any information requested should be the minimum necessary and should only be used for the purpose for which it has been supplied. Information should be kept for a minimum length of time necessary for the uses for which it was supplied and must be deleted once the purpose has come to an end. Any personal information should be kept securely and should never be passed on to others without consent. If any information collected is going to be used for promotion or marketing purposes, then a notice must give individuals, or parents or guardians in the case of children under 16 years old, the opportunity to agree to this via an “opt-in” tick box.
3.6. Use of copyright material
The right to use copyright material must be cleared for the worldwide web or the web territories agreed by S4C and incorporated in the Licence Agreement before it is included in the website. Do not assume that because it has been cleared for the programme that it can be used online.
Where clips are used care must be taken to ensure that any third party rights have been cleared specifically for online use before they are used. The website should not contain any clips from un-transmitted material that may be considered unsuitable for broadcasting in the associated programme.
3.7. Email – contact forms and addresses
A contact form should be used on all web sites for visitors to contact S4C and the Production Company (see Appendix). The email addresses should never be published on the website to prevent harvesting by SPAM robots and Screen Scrapers. If you are developing websites that are to be hosted on the S4C network please use the standard contact form templates that are available from the S4C Web or IT units.
3.8. SMS
S4C has a standard number for receiving text messages:
+447781489888
This is the full number including international dialling code. You may prefer to advertise the number as:
07781 489 888
To use the current number, chose a prefix so that we can correctly route the sms message. For example, for PlanedPlant, any texts arriving that start with "plant" are deemed to be for PlanedPlant. A text reply is sent back to the child (telling them when the next programme is on) and an email containing the message is forwarded onto the PlanedPlant team.
Once you have chosen a prefix you need to decide if you would like to send a reply, and how you would like to receive the message. An automatic response could be sent, thanking them and telling them when the next programme is on. The original message may be forwarded via txt or email.
Please use the following notice regarding charges:
“Mae tecstio’r rhif hwn yr un gost a thecstio ffôn symudol y DU.”
“Texting to this number costs the same as texting a UK mobile.”
Will insert relevant notices with reference to premium rates.
3.9. Competitions
Competitions will generally be placed on the S4C or Planed Plant home pages with a link from the corresponding programme web site to the competitions pages unless the competition is linked to a game or quiz on the programme web site. This allows us to administer the competition internally and to remove it after the deadline without the need to change the navigation on the programme web site. Competitions aimed at Children less than 16 years of age should prompt them to ask their parent or guardian for permission first before entering personal information. All competitions with prizes must have competition rules on the web site.
Please see Appendix for a copy of the relevant rules.
3.10. Sponsorship
The sponsor’s logo may appear on the programme web site. Please check any credits/logo with S4C’s Content Editor.
3.11. Links to external sites
Links to external web sites must be suitable for the target audience of the web site that it is linked from. The following warning must be provided next to the links: “S4C is not responsible for the content of external websites” “Nid yw S4C yn gyfrifol am gynnwys gwefannau allannol”.
Links to external web sites from children’s programme web sites should be thoroughly vetted beforehand to ensure that the content is suitable for children of similar ages to the target audience of the programme web site.
S4C sites must never link to un-moderated chat rooms on third party children’s web sites. If a linked web site is bilingual, you should link to the Welsh web site from our Welsh web site and the English web site from our English web site. If the linked web site is in English only we should link to it from both web sites but note that it is in English only on the Welsh web site (vice-versa for Welsh only).