Overview

This Media Bill amends the Communications Act 2003, primarily focusing on clarifying the definition of public service broadcasting and strengthening regulations around live event coverage, particularly for online platforms. It aims to ensure fair access to important events for viewers across different platforms and to better define the role of public service broadcasters in the digital age.

Description

The amendments primarily affect the definition and regulation of public service broadcasting, specifically regarding online and on-demand services. Key changes include:

• Clarifying Public Service Broadcasting: The Bill reinforces the idea that public service broadcasters provide information, education, and entertainment, extending these requirements to online platforms. This definition includes specific criteria for eligibility, relating to the BBC, Channel 3, 4, 5 and S4C, and their associated online services.
• Regulation of Live Event Coverage: Amendments to Clauses 20, 21, 22, and 23 address the regulation of live event coverage across multiple platforms. The changes aim to ensure that viewers have access to adequate live coverage of significant events on a range of services while also clarifying how the rights to this coverage are managed and potentially penalized if misused. This involves specifying how many services can show live coverage and potentially introducing penalties for non-compliance.
• Information Disclosure: Several amendments to Clauses 38 and Schedules 2, 3, and 9 concern OFCOM's power to disclose information, restricting what can be published while also defining the value of rights to include coverage when determining financial penalties.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly state any associated government spending figures. The impact on government spending is likely to be indirect, potentially involving increased administrative costs for OFCOM in enforcing the new regulations or costs incurred by public service broadcasters in complying with the broadened definitions and requirements.

Groups Affected

• Public Service Broadcasters (BBC, Channel 3, 4, 5, S4C): These broadcasters will need to adapt their online strategies and programming to meet the revised public service broadcasting criteria.
• Online Streaming Services: These services may face increased scrutiny and regulation concerning their handling of live event coverage.
• OFCOM: The regulator will have an increased workload in enforcing the amended regulations and determining financial penalties.
• Viewers: Viewers could potentially benefit from clearer guidelines and more accessible live coverage of important events across various platforms, depending on how the new provisions are enacted.

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