United Kingdom

[GB] Regulator Publishes Response to the Government's Plans for Digital Terrestrial Television

IRIS 1995-10:1/26

Ad van Loon

European Audiovisual Observatory

The regulatory body for broadcasting in the UK, the Independent Television Commission, has published its response to the Government's plans for digital terrestrial television. It questions the two tier system of licensing proposed, under which seperate licences will be granted to multiplex operators and broadcasters. Instead it recommends the provision of licences covering both activities and permitting licenceholders to sublicence capacity on terms approved by the Commission. Licences should be judged on the basis of proposed investment and the proposed variety of programme services. The Commission should have full and final responsibility for administering the licensing system. The Government should also make clear its commitment to the eventual ending of analogue transmissions.

As regards access, successful applicants should be required to co-operate to ensure that access can be gained through a single "set-top-box". Conditional access and subscriber systems should be licensed and regulated by the Commission.