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Regulation News

CoE launches Freedom of expression Website
posted on 24 February, 2016   (public)
CoE launches Freedom of expression Website The Media and Internet governance Division of the Council of Europe has  launched its new Freedom of expression website on 23 February 2016. The new site brings together previously separated websites (Media, Internet...
Incitement to hatred: Croatian AEM temporarily suspends local TV licence
posted on 11 February, 2016   (public)
Incitement to hatred: Croatian AEM temporarily suspends local TV licence On 22 January 2016, the Council of the Electronic Media Agency, the Croatian broadcasting regulator, temporarily suspended the license of the Zagreb-based local television channel Z1 televizija d.o.o....
Council of Europe issues network neutrality guidelines to protect freedom of expression and privacy
posted on 22 January, 2016   (public)
Council of Europe issues network neutrality guidelines to protect freedom of expression and privacy The Council of Europe called on European states to safeguard the principle of network neutrality in the development of national legal frameworks in order to ensure the...
A New Chair for the German DLM
posted on 21 January, 2016   (public)
A New Chair for the German DLM Under their regime of rotating responsibilities in a bi-annual rhythm, Siegfried Schneider, President of the Bavarian regulatory authority (BLM), took over the chair of the Conference of Directors ("Direktorenkonferenz der...
Ofcom consults on Section Three (Crime) of the Broadcasting Code
posted on 20 January, 2016   (public)
Ofcom consults on Section Three (Crime) of the Broadcasting Code On 13 January 2016, Ofcom, the UK Communications Regulator, published a Consultation on Section Three of the Broadcasting Code (“Crime”). This section of the Code deals with: “material...
New Online Media case - ECJ judgement
posted on 13 January, 2016   (public)
New Online Media case - ECJ judgement In June 2014 the Austrian Supreme Court of Administration had requested a preliminary ruling from the European Court of Justice further to an appeal against a decision by the Austrian regulator KommAustria which had qualified the...
10th edition of Ofcom's International Communications Market Report
posted on 16 December, 2015   (public)
10th edition of Ofcom's International Communications Market Report On 10 December 2015, Ofcom, the converged regulator in the UK, published its tenth International Communications Market Report which provides comparative international data on the communications sector on...
Challenging prospects for regional television
posted on 09 December, 2015   (public)
Challenging Prospects for regional television In view of a future reorganization of public service media, the Swiss audiovisual regulator OFCOM has commissioned the experts Marc Janssen and Jean-François Furnémont from the Wagner-Hatfield consultancy bureau to...
Ofcom concludes its work on the measurement framework for media plurality
posted on 02 December, 2015   (public)
Ofcom concludes its work on the measurement framework for media plurality On 5 November 2015, Ofcom published its advice to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the Measurement framework for media plurality it had been asked to develop in 2011 in order to...
Public Service Media Remit in 40 European Countries: free IRIS Bonus report
posted on 17 November, 2015   (public)
Public Service Media Remit in 40 European Countries: free IRIS Bonus report A free working tool, developed in collaboration with the EBU and intended inter alia to accompany the reading of the IRIS Special on “Public service activities online: remit and...
Deployment of mobile services on 700 MHz band: end of the auctions in France
posted on 16 November, 2015   (public)
Deployment of mobile services on the 700 MHz band: end of the auctions in France On 16 November 2015, ARCEP (the French regulator of the electronic and postal communications) has started the auctions for the 700 MHz band. The four major French operators have submitted...
"Let's choose what we watch" - National campaign launched by Agency for Electronic Media and UNICEF Office in Croatia
by Anja Jelavić (AEM - HR) posted on 12 November, 2015   (public)
"Let's choose what we watch" - National campaign launched by Agency for Electronic Media and UNICEF Office in Croatia "Let's choose what we watch" is a national campaign by the Agency for Electronic Media (AEM) and UNICEF, which aims to raise...
Ofcom’s proposals on signing arrangements for non-domestic TV channels
posted on 05 November, 2015   (public)
Ofcom’s proposals on signing arrangements for non-domestic TV channels On 14 October 2015, Ofcom has published proposals on signing arrangements for non-domestic TV channels – i.e. channels licensed by Ofcom for transmission to other Member States of the EEA. The...
AVMSDatabase: a new tool for comparative legal research
posted on 03 November, 2015   (public)
AVMSDatabase: a new tool for comparative legal research The European Audiovisual Observatory has just launched its AVMSDatabase and it is accessible free of charge here. This new tool shows exactly how each EU country has transposed the various rules contained within the...
French CSA withdraws Numéro 23 licence
posted on 30 October, 2015   (public)
French CSA withdraws Numéro 23 licence The French CSA (Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel) has, during its plenary on 14 October 2015, decided to proceed with a withdrawal of the licence granted on 3 July 2012 to the company Diversité TV in order...
Focus on Denmark: 2nd Report on Media Development
posted on 08 October, 2015   (public)
Focus on Denmark:  2nd Report on Media Development In June 2015, the Danish Agency for Culture has published the first part of its second edition of its "Media Development in Denmark Report" which looks at media consumption trends and at the media industry in...
Community Radio - Official Status in French Speaking Belgium
posted on 06 October, 2015   (public)
Community Radio - Official Status in French Speaking Belgium On the occasion of the UNESCO seminar of 14-15 September in Paris on "Community Media Sustainability",the Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel, the media regulator of the French speaking...
Due impartiality and news: Ofcom reprimands RT
posted on 29 September, 2015   (public)
Due impartiality and news: Ofcom reprimands RT On 21 September 2015, UK regulator Ofcom has ruled that three episodes of RT's programming were in breach of Ofcom's Broadcasting Code. The rulings published in the watchdog’s latest bulletin concern two...
Digital Single Market Strategy: consultations on geo-blocking and the role of platforms
posted on 25 September, 2015   (public)
Digital Single Market Strategy: consultations on geo-blocking and the role of platforms On 24 September 2015, the European Commission has launched two further consultations as part of the Digital Single Market Strategy issued on 6 May 2015: one on geo-blocking and one...
Media & Elections : French CSA publishes 15 proposals
posted on 21 September, 2015   (public)
Media & Elections : French CSA publishes 15 proposals With a view to better reconciling freedom of communication with rules on political pluralism in the audiovisual media, the French regulatory authority (Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel - CSA) has...
Digitisation in Germany - 2015 DLM Report
posted on 15 September, 2015   (public)
Digitisation  in Germany - 2015 DLM Report The Directors Conference of the Media Authorities (DLM) has recently published its 2015 report on Digitisation, measuring the digitisation of the German broadcasting market and comparing it also to the international one. The...
French data protection authority highlights insufficient protection of children's privacy on the Internet
posted on 08 September, 2015   (public)
French data protection authority highlights insufficient protection of children's privacy on the Internet In May 2015, 29 data protection authorities in the world (of which the French CNIL - Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés), gathered in...
BAI fosters Irish skills in quality TV drama
posted on 07 September, 2015   (public)
BAI fosters Irish skills in quality TV drama Big Stories on the Small Screen is a new initiative, funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and Screen Training Ireland, focused on developing Irish skills in quality long-form screen drama. Big Stories will support...
Digital Single Market Strategy: two follow-up consultations launched this summer
posted on 07 September, 2015   (public)
Digital Single Market Strategy: two follow-up consultations launched this summer On 24 August, the European Commission has launched a public consultation on the "Cable and Satellite" Directive, which is part of the reform policy of European copyright law. All...
ERC reports on news consumption in Portugal
posted on 01 September, 2015   (public)
ERC reports on news consumption in Portugal On 19 May 2015, the Portuguese regulator ERC published an extensive report on news consumption in Portugal. This document represents the first report of the ERC project on audiences and media consumption which was launched in late...
New Media Online case - Opinion of Advocate General
posted on 01 September, 2015   (public)
New Media Online case - Opinion of Advocate General On 1 July 2015, Advocate General Maciej Szpunar delivered his non-binding opinion in the case New Media Online. In June 2014, the Austrian Supreme Court of Administration had requested a preliminary ruling from the...
Ofcom’s communications market report: smartphones are the most popular online devices
posted on 25 August, 2015   (public)
Ofcom’s communications market report: smartphones are the most popular online devices Smartphones have overtaken laptops as the most popular device for surfing online, Ofcom research has revealed, with record ownership and use transforming the way we communicate....
CNMC and Autocontrol agree on joint regulation of TV advertising
posted on 24 August, 2015   (public)
CNMC and Autocontrol agree on joint regulation of TV advertising The Spanish regulator CNMC announced on July 6 2015 an agreement with the industry group Autocontrol (Association for Self-Regulation of Commercial Communications) on joint regulation of advertising on TV. CNMC...
Protection of minors: new age classification criteria adopted by the Spanish CNMC
posted on 24 August, 2015   (public)
CNMC adopted new age classification criteria for protection of minors On July 9 2015, the Spanish regulator CNMC adopted new criteria for rating audiovisual content. These new criteria were agreed by the CNMC, TV broadcasters and for the first time, social organizations were...
CoE Parliamentary Assembly calls for Increasing transparency of media ownership
posted on 23 July, 2015   (public)
CoE Parliamentary Assembly calls for increasing transparency of media ownership The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has recently asked the CoE member States to review their legislation to ensure transparency of media ownership, so that the public has...

Archived Regulation News

OSCE Representative on Freedom of Media Dunja Mijatović reappointed
posted on 07 March, 2013   (public)
Picture credits: OSCE/Curtis Budden On 7 March 2013, the 57 OSCE participating States unanimously agreed to reappoint the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to a second three-year term. Dunja Mijatović was appointed...
Social media: A first analysis by the French CSA
posted on 26 February, 2013   (public)
The Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel (CSA), the French regulatory authority in charge of broadcasting, published on 19 February 2013, a first analysis of the phenomenon of "social TV," which focuses on the delimitation of its scope, its development,...
Processing complaints: Refram publishes toolbox
posted on 05 February, 2013   (public)
On 29 January 2013, the Network of French-speaking media regulatory authorities (REFRAM) published a toolkit on how to process complaints - a mission at the core of the daily work of regulatory authorities. It is intended to help members of the network by providing them...
Jürgen Brautmeier appointed new Chair of German DLM
posted on 31 January, 2013   (public)
As of 1 January 2013, the chairmanship of the Conference of Directors of the Media Authorities (DLM) was taken over by Dr. Jürgen Brautmeier for a term of two years.  The DLM, which is composed of the legal representatives of the media authorities in Germany, acts...
A new chairperson and two new members for the French CSA
posted on 24 January, 2013   (public)
Mr Olivier Schrameck has officially been appointed as chairman of the French regulatory authority, the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA), as of 24 January 2013. He was nominated by French President François Hollande and replaces Michel Boyon for a 6...
High Level Group reports on Media Pluralism
posted on 23 January, 2013   (public)
On 21 January 2013, the High Level Group on Media Freedom on Pluralism convened by the European Commission delivered a 51 page report entitled A free and pluralistic media to sustain European democracy. On the basis of hearings and the analysis of recent research and studies...
Protection of minors on VOD: Ofcom fines Playboy
posted on 16 January, 2013   (public)
On 16 January 2013, Ofcom imposed a fine of £100,000 on the service provider Playboy TV/Benelux Limited for failing to protect children from potentially harmful pornographic material. Two on demand programme services (ODPS) owned by Playboy (Playboy TV and Demand Adult)...
Belgian CSA reports on New Media
posted on 11 January, 2013   (public)
On 11 January, the CSA of the French Community of Belgium published a report on "new media" (web TV, web radio, VOD, SVOD, catch-up TV and radio, etc). The 72 pages document provides a snapshot of the sector of new media by looking at the consumption of new...
EPRA co-organises MEDIADEM's final conference
posted on 07 January, 2013   (public)
In the wake of the success of the joint public workshop between EPRA and Cullen International on regulatory aspects of Connected TV held in May 2012, EPRA will be one of the co-organisers of another public event - together with the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign...
Ofcom's 7th International Communications Market Report published
posted on 13 December, 2012   (public)
On 13 December 2012, Ofcom published its seventh International Communications Market Report. The report examines the availability, take-up, price and use of TV, radio, broadband, telephone and postal services. The aim of the report is to benchmark the UK communications...
Regional TV beyond regional coverage: consultation of Swiss OFCOM
posted on 11 December, 2012   (public)
On 4 December 2012, the Federal Office of Communications of Switzerland (OFCOM) launched a public consultation on a draft law that would enable the licensed regional TV stations to transmit their programmes digitally outside their regional coverage areas. The public would be...
Protection of minors on VOD: Ofcom fines Strictly Broadband Limited
posted on 10 December, 2012   (public)
On Friday 7 December 2012, Ofcom imposed a financial penalty of £60,000 (GDP) on Strictly Broadband Limited in respect of its on-demand programmes service, provided through its website, “Strictly Broadband”. Between 31 May - 1 August 2012 users of the...
Belgian CSA assesses compliance of non-linear TV services with legal obligations
posted on 03 December, 2012   (public)
On 27 November 2012, the CSA of the French speaking Community of Belgium published its assessment on how non-linear television services complied with their legal obligations in 2011. The CSA assessed how four video-on-demand services fulfilled their obligations with regard...
Access of VOD services to people with disabilities: ATVOD report
posted on 29 November, 2012   (public)
On 28 November 2012, ATVOD (the independent co-regulator for the editorial content of video on demand services in UK) published its report on the accessibility of VOD services for people with disabilities of sight or hearing. The report is based on the ATVOD's annual...
Consultation on the review of the Ofcom rules on political broadcasts
posted on 23 November, 2012   (public)
On 19 November 2012, Ofcom opened a consultation on the review of the Rules on Party Political and Referendum Broadcasts and on the Guidance for broadcast coverage of elections. The review of the Rules is related to recent amendments of the Communications Act, requiring the...
A new Board for the Belgian CSA
posted on 22 November, 2012   (public)
On 8 November 2012, the Government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation appointed for a five-year mandate four new members of the Board of CSA of the French community of Belgium. Dominique Vosters was appointed as Chairman of CSA. He replaces Marc Janssen. The mandates of...
Protecting children in the digital world: European Parliament report
posted on 20 November, 2012   (public)
On 20 November 2012, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Protecting children in the digital world. The adopted report, prepared by Silvia Costa, highlights three main elements in terms of protecting minors in the digital era: education on new media, digital...
EPRA represented at the AMARC Forum on the Future of Community Radio
posted on 15 November, 2012   (public)
On 12-13 November 2012, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC Europe), in partnership with the Center for Media and Communication Studies of the Central European University and the Hungarian Federation of Free radios, organised a workshop on ...
Video sections of newspaper websites & AVMS: Swedish RA decisions
posted on 09 November, 2012   (public)
On 29 October 2012, the Swedish Broadcasting Commission (SBC) decided in four cases that video sections on newspaper websites were to be considered as audiovisual media services under the Swedish Radio and Television Act. The cases concerned websites of newspapers ...
Baltic regulators met in Riga
posted on 05 November, 2012   (public)
On 11 October 2012, the representatives of Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Swedish regulatory authorities met in Riga to share their experience and to discuss practical questions related to media regulation. The Baltic regulators' meeting takes place every year...
Towards a convergent NRA in France? CSA's contribution
posted on 31 October, 2012   (public)
In the context of a consultation launched by the Prime Minister during summer, the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel, (CSA), published its contribution on the envisaged merger between CSA and ARCEP, the two French regulatory authorities in charge of broadcasting...
FICORA publishes market review on audiovisual content services in Finland
posted on 29 October, 2012   (public)
On 26 October 2012, The Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority (FICORA) published a market review on the audiovisual content services. The review looks at the different ways how Finns watch audiovisual content, and is based on the data reported by operators and on the...
CMFE publishes first mapping of Community Media in Europe
posted on 24 October, 2012   (public)
On 22 October 2012, the Community Media Forum Europe (CMFE), an international non-profit organisation which provides a common platform for networks, national federations and projects active in the "third media" sector, unveiled the outcome of its mapping exercise of...
SEE Digi.TV: outcome of second international conference
posted on 24 October, 2012   (public)
On 18-19 October 2012, the Post and Electronic Communications Agency of the Republic of Slovenia (APEK) held the 2nd international conference of the SEE Digi.TV project in Ljubljana. The event gathered more than 90 participants from regulatory authorities, TV and electronic...
Digital TV switchover completed in Ireland and UK
posted on 24 October, 2012   (public)
On 24 October 2012, Ireland and the United Kingdom turned off the analogue television signal. Now the television services in both countries are fully digital. In Ireland, the old TV network was replaced by a free-to-air digital terrestrial television service Saorview,...
On-demand services: Ofcom publishes consumer research results
posted on 23 October, 2012   (public)
Ofcom published results of the consumer research commissioned from the Essential Research Ltd on 23 October. The aim of the research was to explore consumer attitudes and behaviour in relation to on-demand audiovisual services and to help Ofcom understand which services are...
Digital Radio - Outcome of French consultation on standards for digital terrrestrial radio
posted on 22 October, 2012   (public)
Following a public consultation on standards for digital radio launched in April 2012 to seek the views of stakeholders, the French Minister of Culture and Communication published a summary of the responses to the consultation on 11 October 2012. The consultation...
ATVOD’s submissions concerning protection of minors on VOD and media convergence
posted on 19 October, 2012   (public)
On 17 October 2012, the Authority for Television On Demand (ATVOD), which is the independent co-regulator for the editorial content of VOD services in UK, published its submissions to the consultation by the UK Council for Child Internet Safety on parental controls and to the...
Ofcom’s Digital Radio Report 2012
posted on 18 October, 2012   (public)
On 17 October 2012, Ofcom published its Digital Radio Report 2012. Following the Government’s Digital Radio Action Plan launched in July 2010, Ofcom was requested to report annually on the availability and take-up of digital radio services. The Action Plan set the...
Gender Equality: REFRAM launches an internal call for project and publishes a handbook
posted on 18 October, 2012   (public)
The Francophone Network Media Regulators (REFRAM) has launched a call for tender among its members for a pilot project in favour of gender equality. This call seeks to identify and fund projects that encourage and support the promotion of gender equality in the broadcast...