Search

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

Connected TV : proceedings of CSAs conference
posted on 18 August, 2011   (public)
The regulatory authority in France (CSA) has organised a conference on connected television in April 2011. The proceedings of the conference are now available on the CSAs website. The development of connected television, as well as its economic, social and cultural...
CJEU: The Italian subsidy for DTT receivers constitutes State aid
posted on 17 August, 2011   (public)
The Court of Justice of the European Union, by its judgment dated 28 July 2011, confirmed that the Italian subsidies for the purchase of digital terrestrial decoders in 2004 and 2005 constitute State aid which is incompatible with the common market. Specifically, by its...
Survey on the business models for the on-demand audiovisual media services which are active in the French market
posted on 22 July, 2011   (public)
The French audiovisual regulator (CSA) published a report on the business models for on-demand audiovisual media services that are active in the French market. The survey deals with the cost and revenues models, as well as contracting practices binding the various...
OSCE Report on Freedom of Expression on The Internet
posted on 10 July, 2011   (public)
In 2010, the Office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media of the OSCE commissioned a report to assess Internet regulation among its Member States. Considering the global nature of the Internet, as well as the lack of harmonisation at international level, many States...
CJEU ruling on surreptitious advertising - Case C-52/10
posted on 09 June, 2011   (public)
On June 9, 2011, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on an issue concerning surreptitious advertising, following a preliminary ruling from the Greek Council of State in the proceedings of "Eleftheri tileorasi AE Alter channel and Konstantinos Giannikos,...
Belgian CSA consults on the scope of the regulation of AVMS
posted on 12 May, 2011   (public)
Public consultation opened until 1 September On 6 May 2011, the CSA of the French Community of Belgium launched a public consultation on the scope of regulation applicable to Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS), i.e. in addition to traditional television and radio services,...
French CSA organises a conference on connected TV
posted on 03 May, 2011   (public)
The French regulatory authority, the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel, organised a conference on connected TV on 28th April, bringing together the major players and stakeholders of the French audiovisual area. All texts and presentations (including videos) are...
Internet-Connected and Hybrid Television : EBU adopts core Principles
posted on 15 April, 2011   (public)
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) adopted on 15 April Principles for Internet-Connected and Hybrid Television which, if applied, could deliver lower costs, greater choice and a better viewing experience for consumers. The principles are also meant to allow broadcasters...
CJEU: Advocate General gives opinion on advertising case
posted on 12 April, 2011   (public)
Case C-281/09: Commission v Spain On 7 April 2011, Advocate General Yves Bot delivered his opinion in case C-281/09: Commission v Spain on the notions of "advertising spots" and "other forms of advertising" under the Television without Frontiers...
AVMSD Implementation
posted on 31 March, 2011   (public)
Commission seeks information from 16 Member States The Commission has finished a preliminary analysis of measures notified by 16 Member States to implement the AVMS Directive in their national law. On the basis of this analysis, the Commission is sending follow-up...
Belgian CSA meets new Tunisian authorities
posted on 29 March, 2011   (public)
The Belgian CSA accompanied a delegation of the Communauté Wallonie Bruxelles (French Community of Belgium) in Tunisia on 22 and 23 March to show support for the democratic transition underway in Tunisia. Composed of different personalities of the CSA, the delegation...
Latest report of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
posted on 24 March, 2011   (public)
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, delivered her second regular report on the status of media freedom within the OSCE region to the OSCE Permanent Council on 17 March 2011, one year after assuming the post. The 22 pages document contains many...
Digital radio in L band: consultation of the French CSA
posted on 24 March, 2011   (public)
In order to have a better insight into the projects and expectations of the French market stakeholders and with the aim to possibly launch a call for applications for the service providers, the French CSA has just launched a public consultation on the broadcasting of digital...
Council of Europe consults on search engines and social networking services
posted on 06 March, 2011   (public)
The Council of Europe's expert committee on new media is preparing draft recommendations of the Committee of Ministers to its 47 member states on the protection of human rights with regard to search engines as well as on measures to protect and promote the respect of...
BAI announces decision to permit paid product placement on Irish Television
posted on 01 March, 2011   (public)
The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has recently announced the decision to permit paid product placement on Irish television. So far, only placement of significant value but without payment (Free Placement) was permitted in all programming in Ireland.This decision...
Events of major importance: key rulings by General Court
posted on 17 February, 2011   (public)
On 17 February 2011, the General Court delivered two long-awaited rulings in cases T-385/07, T-55/08 and T-68/08 (FIFA and UEFA v Commission) which dealt with the UK and Belgian lists of events of major importance for society. The Court confirmed that Member States had a...
Ofcom launches logo for Product Placement
posted on 14 February, 2011   (public)
Following the footsteps of the broadcasting regulators in Belgium and France, Ofcom just launched the logo that TV channels must use to signal to viewers when a UK-produced programme contains product placement on 14 February. Product placement will be allowed in UK...
Revision of the ECTT officially discontinued
posted on 04 February, 2011   (public)
In a letter addressed to Thorbjørn Jagland, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Neelie Kroes, vice-President of the European Commission, recently confirmed the position of the European Commission with regard to the draft second amended protocol to the...
On-demand services: Decision of French CSA concerning the protection of minors, ethics and accessibility of programmes
posted on 05 January, 2011   (public)
The Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA), the French regulatory authority, has recently adopted a decision concerning the protection of minors, ethics and the accessibility of programmes on audiovisual media services on demand. The decision extends the...
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media New Report published
posted on 03 January, 2011   (public)
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, delivered her regular report on the status of media freedom within the OSCE region to the OSCE participating States on 16 December 2010. The 23 pages document contains many references to media regulation and...
Abridged report of the 13th CDMC meeting
posted on 20 December, 2010   (public)
The Steering Committee on Media and New Communication Services of the Council of Europe met from 16-19 November 2010. The main discussion revolved around the lack of progress in the implementation of the Declaration on measures to promote the respect of Article 10 of the...
VOD on DTT: French CSA launches call for tender
posted on 28 November, 2010   (public)
On 26 November 2010, the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel, the French media regulatory authority, launched a call for tender for one or more on-demand services (either encrypted or free-to-air) to be broadcast on digital terrestrial television. The deadline for...
REFRAM meets in Fes for a seminar on political pluralism
posted on 27 November, 2010   (public)
REFRAM, the Network of French-speaking media regulatory authorities, is holding a seminar on political pluralism during and outside the election period on 29-30 November in Fes at the invitation of the Moroccan regulator HACA. The agenda is available here: ...
Ofcom revokes Bang Media licences
posted on 26 November, 2010   (public)
On 26 November, Ofcom, the communication regulator in the UK, has revoked four TV broadcast licences owned by Bang Channels Limited and Bang Media (London) Limited following serious and repeated breaches of the Broadcasting Code. The breaches for the broadcast material...
ROJ TV: Danish Radio and Television Board's response to criminal proceedings
posted on 25 November, 2010   (public)
The Radio and Television Board, the Danish Broadcasting Regulatory Authority, have discussed the possible reaction of the Board following the criminal proceedings being filed against the companies that operate ROJ TV for promoting the PKK's terrorist activities. In the...
Parliament Resolution on Public Service Broadcasting in the digital era
posted on 25 November, 2010   (public)
On 25 November, the European Parliament adopted a resolution entitled Public service broadcasting in the digital era: the future of the dual system, based on a report prepared by Ivo Belet (EPP, BE). The resolution was adopted in Plenary session by 522 votes to 22 with 62...