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Regulation News

Public Service Broadcasting in the Internet Age - Ofcom's 3rd PSB Review
posted on 17 July, 2015   (public)
Public Service Broadcasting in the Internet Age - Ofcom's 3rd PSB Review On 2 July 2015, British Regulator Ofcom published the conclusions of its third review of public service broadcasting. The review examines how the BBC - but also ITV, STV, UTV, Channel 4, Channel 5...
Independence of NRAs: Chair of Latvian Broadcasting regulator dismissed
posted on 09 July, 2015   (public)
Independence of NRAs: Chair of Latvian Broadcasting regulator dismissed The Saeima, the Parliament of Latvia, in an extraordinary session held on 8 July 2015 voted to dismiss Mr Ainārs Dimants, Chairperson of the National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP), the...
Local TV not keeping pace with nationwide broadcasting in Germany
posted on 24 June, 2015   (public)
Local TV not keeping pace with nationwide broadcasting in Germany   Nationwide TV broadcasting remains the key medium in Germany and consolidates its supremacy in the advertising market even further. This is one of the main findings of the new edition of the Yearbook...
Changing patterns in the consumption of news in Ireland
posted on 23 June, 2015   (public)
Changing patterns in the consumption of news in Ireland New research commissioned by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), which was published on 23 June, highlighted significant changes in the way in which Irish people access news. This new report is based on data...
Swiss voters approve change in licence fee model
posted on 17 June, 2015   (public)
Swiss voters approve change in licence fee model On 14 June, Swiss citizens voted by referendum on the partial review of the Federal Radio and TV Act (RVTA), which was approved by a very narrow margin (Yes: 50.1%, No: 49.9 %). The main objective of the RVTA review is to ...
Sweden: Press Subsidies Council becomes part of the Broadcasting Authority
posted on 15 June, 2015   (public)
Sweden: Press Subsidies Council becomes part of the Broadcasting Authority As of 1 July, the Press Subsidies Council (Presstödsnämnden) will cease to exist as a separate agency and its functions transferred to the Swedish Broadcasting Authority (Myndigheten...
A modified structure for the French CSA
posted on 08 June, 2015   (public)
A modified structure for the French CSA Echoing the far-reaching changes of the media environment and as a consequence of its new duties on public service broadcasting and economic regulation introduced by the Law of 15 November 2013, the French regulator CSA announced a...
Ofcom looks back at 10 years Adults’ media use
posted on 26 May, 2015   (public)
Ofcom looks back at 10 years Adults’ media use Ofcom published, in May 2015, its Adults’ media use and attitudes Report 2015. The Report provides data on adults' (aged 16 and over) media use and attitudes across TV, radio, games, mobile and the internet, with...
EPRA Berne: Presentation of the Swiss Media Landscape
posted on 21 May, 2015   (public)
EPRA Berne: Presentation of the Swiss Media Landscape On the occasion of the 41st EPRA meeting in Berne held on 13-15 May 2015, Mr. Roger Blum, Chairperson of the Independent Complaints Authority (ICA) and Mr. Philipp Metzger, Director General of the Federal Office for...
Ofcom revises signing arrangements for low audience channels
posted on 19 May, 2015   (public)
Ofcom revises signing arrangements for low audience channels Ofcom has revised the arrangements for signing on domestic TV channels in the UK with an audience share between 0.05% and 1%. Ofcom’s decisions take account of responses to the consultation published in July...
2015 Guide of Digital Channels in France
posted on 28 April, 2015   (public)
2015 Guide of Digital Channels in France The thirteenth edition of the Guide on Digital Channels was published in April 2015 by the French regulator CSA, the DGMIC (Directorate General of Media and Cultural Industries of the Ministry of Culture and Communication), CNC...
Towards a sustainable Swiss media ecosystem - Federal Council's report highlights potential support measures
posted on 07 April, 2015   (public)
Towards a sustainable Swiss media ecosystem - Federal Council's report highlights potential support measures In a report entitled "Ensuring the political and democratic functions of the media", published in December 2014, the Federal Council (the Swiss...
Media Plurality - Ofcom consults on measurement framework
posted on 16 March, 2015   (public)
Media Plurality - Ofcom consults on measurement framework On 11 March 2015, Ofcom published a consultation on a proposed measurement framework for media plurality, as the second part of a two-step process which will lead to set out proposals for indicators to be included in...
Digital radio: switchover in Norway soon to be concluded
posted on 12 March, 2015   (public)
Digital Radio: switchover in Norway soon to be concluded Two reports on the radio digital switchover have recently been published and have been presented to the Norwegian Ministry of Culture. The report from the Norwegian Media Authority (NMA) of 27 February 2015 contains...
Serbian REM issues Recommendation on the use of subtitles and sign language
posted on 26 February, 2015   (public)
Serbian REM issues Recommendation on the use of subtitles and sign language The Council of the Regulatory Authority of Electronic Media (REM) in Serbia, on the occasion of its meeting held on 9 February 2015, issued a Recommendation on how to use subtitles and sign language...
Digital radio & small stations: Ofcom announces trials of small scale DAB
posted on 24 February, 2015   (public)
Digital radio & small stations: Ofcom announces trials of small scale DAB On 24 February 2015, Ofcom has confirmed plans for trials of a new technology that could provide small radio stations across the UK with an affordable way to broadcast on DAB digital radio....
Independent application of INDIREG ranking tool in Albania
posted on 17 February, 2015   (public)
Independent application of INDIREG ranking tool in Albania Responding to a request by the Speaker of the Assembly of Albania, the Council of Europe Secretary General had requested assistance for an assessment of the independence and efficient functioning of the Albanian...
French CSA publishes a new study on catch-up TV
posted on 16 February, 2015   (public)
French CSA publishes a new study on catch-up TV On 13 February 2015 the French Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA) published a new study on catch-up TV in France entitled: "La télévision de rattrapage : une pratique installée, une...
Irish BAI launches Sound & Vision III Scheme
posted on 05 February, 2015   (public)
Irish BAI launches Sound & Vision III Scheme The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has announced on 3 February 2015 a new Broadcasting Funding Scheme, Sound & Vision III. The scheme will see up to €24 million in funding being made available to television...
Two new members for the French CSA
posted on 29 January, 2015   (public)
Two new members for the French CSA On 26 January, the President of the French Republic appointed two new members of the French Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA): Nathalie Sonnac, who was nominated by the head of the National Assembly. She is inter alia...
A new Code of Programme Standards for the BAI
posted on 29 January, 2015   (public)
A new Code of Programme Standards for the BAI The Broadcasting Act 2009 requires the Irish regulator, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), to prepare codes and rules, and to review the effect of such codes and rules in accordance within specified timeframes....
Protection of Minors: Norway adopts platform independent legislation
posted on 06 January, 2015   (public)
Protection of Minors: Norway adopts platform independent legislation During a second reading which took place on 15 December 2014, the Norwegian Parliament adopted a new law on the protection of minors against harmful content in audiovisual programmes. The Ministry of...
Digital Radio Switchover envisaged for 2024 in Switzerland
posted on 16 December, 2014   (public)
Digital Radio Switchover envisaged for 2024 in Switzerland By 2024 all radio programme services are to be broadcast only digitally in Switzerland, mainly on DAB+ platforms. This is the goal of the radio industry, which will cease analogue VHF (FM) broadcasting of its...
Protecting Audiences in an online world, a new Ofcom commissioned research
posted on 09 December, 2014   (public)
Protecting Audiences in an online world, a new Ofcom commissioned research On 4 December 2014, Ofcom published the outcome of recent research conducted by Kardar Media, which deals with audience views of protections for audiovisual content delivered across different...
Measuring Plurality: Ofcom's call for inputs
posted on 18 November, 2014   (public)
Measuring Plurality: Ofcom's call for inputs Ofcom has recently been requested by the Secretary of State to develop a measurement framework for media plurality. On 30 October 2014, Ofcom invited stakeholders to provide their input on how best to measure media plurality....
Second ERGA meeting: focus on regulatory independence
posted on 27 October, 2014   (public)
Second ERGA meeting: focus on regulatory independence The European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA) met in Brussels for the second time under the Chairmanship of Mr. Olivier Schrameck, President of the French CSA, on 21 October 2014. ERGA adopted a ...
CoE Committee of Ministers will not resume work on the revision of the ECTT
posted on 21 October, 2014   (public)
CoE Committee of Ministers will not resume work on the revision of the European Convention on Transfrontier Television On 23 September 2014, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe informed that “(it) has not allocated any resources to work on the European...
EPRA meeting in Tbilisi: Presentation of the Georgian Media Regulatory Landscape
posted on 15 October, 2014   (public)
EPRA meeting in Tbilisi: Presentation of the Georgian Regulatory Landscape On the occasion of the 40th EPRA meeting in Tbilisi on 8-10 October 2014, Mr. Ivane Makharadze, Head of the Broadcasting Regulation Department at the Georgian National Communication Commission...
Ofcom: Children and Parents Media Use and Attitudes Report 2014
posted on 09 October, 2014   (public)
Ofcom: Children and Parents Media Use and Attitudes Report 2014 The Ofcom published on 9 October 2014 its annual Children and Parents Media Use and Attitudes Report. The Report examines children’s use of different media and communications, and the role parents play in...
Ofcom: Digital Radio Report 2014
posted on 26 September, 2014   (public)
Ofcom: Digital Radio Report 2014 On 25 September 2014 Ofcom published its annual Digital Radio Report for 2014 as part of the Digital Radio Action Plan announced by the Government in July 2010. The report covers availability, take-up, listening patterns and attitudes towards...

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...