Television In Europe Regulatory Bodies

Which are the main regulatory bodies dealing with television broadcasting in Europe? What are their status and competences? What are their supervisory and regulatory powers?

This publication is based on the discussions of a workshop organised by the European Audiovisual Observatory in September 2002, in collaboration with the Institute of European Media Law and the Institute for Information Law. It examines co-regulation as an alternative to traditional forms of media regulation (parliamentary acts, EU directives etc) in Europe, current examples of its use and possible areas of application, characteristics and legal requirements, benefits and risks associated with it. Topics discussed include: a comparison of co-regulation systems in relation to self-monitoring and self-regulation regimes, protection of human dignity, distribution of racist content, technical standards, the EU legal and policy framework, the Council of Europe approach, the implementation and enforcement of co-regulation codes in a transfrontier context, example texts for self-regulation and co-regulation in advertising, youth protection, hate speech, the independence of journalists and technical standards.

The reports include regional overviews and 20 individual reports focusing on the state of television - both public service and commercial broadcasting. The countries monitored include the whole of Central and Eastern Europe, South-eastern Europe, selected Western European countries and Turkey

The topic dealt with in this latest publication in the IRIS Special series is the media policy commitment to ensuring that all viewers have access to certain core television content of particular public interest. This policy commitment requires that regulatory bodies take appropriate action to exert influence on the television market. One of the instruments available to regulators for this purpose is the system of must-carry obligations. Crucial questions on must-carry obligations: They were developed for cable television - are they still relevant for the digital era? Do they prevent market failure or do they run the risk of producing market distortion? How should Article 31 of the Universal Service Directive be interpreted? 'Must-carry' or 'must-offer'? Do competition law and access regulations make must-carry obsolete? The European approach (based on programme content) or the American approach (based on the type of broadcaster)? The present IRIS Special contains a comprehensive discussion of the key aspects of must-carry obligations and consists of 4 main parts: Workshop on must-carry obligations; What are we carrying across the EU these days?; Analog and digital must-carry obligations of cable and satellite television operators in the United States; The future of must-carry

Digital technology for the production, transmission, and reception of television is expected to replace analogue transmission throughout the world. This book gives the exhaustive details of the issues of this changeover in Europe and elsewhere. The rollo

Combining institutional textual and audience analysis, this book introduces students to the factors which have shaped television′s development in contemporary Europe, and invites them to assess the issues that are at stake in its future. Divided into three parts, the book moves from the European broadcasting environment, through current patterns and trends in programming and programme making, to TV genres and issue-specific broadcasting. Incorporating a range of pedagogical devices: boxes of key facts, activities and notes for further reading, Television across Europe offers an essential introductory guide to television in Western Europe.

Media independence is vital for democracies, and so is the independence of the regulatory bodies governing it. The Independence of the Media and its Regulatory Agencies explores the complex relationship between media governance and independence of media regulatory authorities within Europe, which form part of the wider framework in which media's independence may flourish or fade. Based on research in more than forty countries, the contributions analyze the independence of regulators and draw links between social, financial, and legal frameworks.