Portugal

[PT] New Television Bill in the Making

IRIS 2007-1:1/27

Luís António Santos

Departamento de Ciências da Comunicação, Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade do Minho

On 16 November 2006, the Portuguese Council of Ministers approved a Draft Television Bill. The Bill was open for public consultation until 15 December 2006 and aims at replacing both Act nº32/2003 of 22 August 2003 and Decree-Law nº237/98 of 5 August 1998.

With this Draft the Government intends to detail the legal criteria for the granting and renewal of TV licenses, to adapt the legislation to technological changes (namely the introduction of Digital Terrestrial TV), to abolish the existing differences between the public service obligations imposed on state-owned channels (thus re-incorporating Channel 2), and to redefine public service financing.

Within this new framework the Entidade Reguladora para a Comunicação Social (Media Regulatory Entity) will have increased supervisory powers over the activities of already licensed TV operators.

The Portuguese Council of Ministers has also approved a Bill to finalise the merger process of the Radio and Television public service broadcasters. This Bill, to be submitted to Parliament, concludes the revision process of the state-owned audiovisual sector’s legal framework.


References




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