United Kingdom

[GB] Advertising Sales Arrangement Rules Revised

IRIS 2001-6:1/15

David Goldberg

deeJgee Research/Consultancy

From 17 May, new Independent Television Commission (ITC) regulations concerning airtime sales arrangements and certain types of share deals are in force. The aims of the revision are to "provide a more streamlined approach to regulation in this sector," to bring "the ITC's rules into line with the Competition Commission's decision [...] regarding further consolidation of ITV ownership" and to "help establish a more competitive market".

Some of the pre-existing rules have been relaxed or amended and there are several new prohibitions, e.g. on joint selling by Granada and Carlton (ITC licensees) and on the two London Channel 3 licensees selling their airtime jointly.

The new rules were devised following the publication of a November 2000 Consultation Paper on "Airtime Sales Arrangements and Share Deals." The main proposals, as detailed in the Introduction to that Paper are: (a) to allow joint selling arrangements for national airtime; (b) abolish the regulatory limit on Net Advertising Revenue share; (c) abolish requirements for prior written consent for joint sales arrangements involving regional Channel 3 licensees, and (d) to maintain a prohibition of joint selling arrangements between Carlton Communications and Granada Media.

References

"ITC Publishes Revisions to Rules on Advertising Sales Arrangements", ITC Press Release 25/01, of 17 May 2001

Revisions to ITC Rules Regarding Advertising Sales Arrangements

Results of the ITC's Consultation on Advertising Sales Arrangements and Share Deals

This article has been published in IRIS Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory.