Portugal

[PT] Parliament Approves New Television Law

IRIS 2011-4:1/30

Mariana Lameiras & Helena Sousa

United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance (UNU-EGOV) & Communication and Society Research Centre, University of Minho

On 4 February 2011, the Portuguese Parliament approved a new television law. The Socialist Party (PS) voted in favour of the new law, while both the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the right wing Christian Democrats CDS-PPs abstained. The decree, called Decreto nº 76/XI, derives from the Proposta de Lei n.º 29/XI/1. ª (Bill no. 29/XI), which was previously approved by the Parliamentary Commission on Ethics, Society and Culture (13ª Comissão de Ética, Sociedade e Cultura).

The new Television Law transposes the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive (Directive no. 2007/65/CE - AVMSD) and makes amendments to several previous national laws, namely the Television Law no. 27/2007, the Publicity Code and the law that restructured the radio and television public service broadcasters (Law no. 8/2007). Decreto nº 76/XI requires promulgation by the President of the Republic and publication in the official news bulletin (Diário da República) in order to come into force.

The major changes introduced in the television sector are related to advertising and media ownership. Broadcasters gain a wider margin for manoeuvre as concerns advertising and product placement. Regarding media ownership and management, a new set of guidelines is introduced in order to increase transparency regarding property and editorial responsibilities. Broadcasters shall publish information about the ownership structure online. If this does not take place, the relevant information must be given to Entidade Reguladora para a Comunicação Social (the State media regulatory body) to publish on its own website.


References

  • DECRETO N.º 76/XI Procede à primeira alteração à Lei da Televisão, aprovada pela Lei n.º 27/2007, de 30 de Julho, à 12.ª alteração ao Código da Publicidade, aprovado pelo Decreto-Lei n.º 330/90, de 22 de Outubro, e à primeira alteração à Lei n.º 8/2007, de 14 de Fevereiro, que procede à reestruturação da concessionária do serviço público de rádio e de televisão, transpondo a Directiva n.º 2007/65/CE, do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho, de 11 de Dezembro de 2007
  • http://www.parlamento.pt/ActividadeParlamentar/Paginas/DetalheDiplomaAProvado.aspx?BID=16310
  • Decree no. 76/XI, approved by the Portuguese Parliament

  • Proposta de Lei n.º 29/XI/1. ª - Procede à primeira alteração à Lei da Televisão aprovada pela Lei n.º 27/2007, de 30 de Junho, à 12.ª alteração ao Código da Publicidade aprovado pelo Decreto-Lei n.º 330/90, de 22 de Outubro, e à primeira alteração da lei que procede à reestruturação da concessionária do serviço público de rádio e de televisão aprovada pela Lei n.º 8/2007, de 14 de Fevereiro, e transpõe a Directiva n.º 2007/65/CE, do Parlamento Europeu e do Conselho, de 11 de Dezembro de 2007
  • http://app.parlamento.pt/webutils/docs/doc.doc?path=6148523063446f764c3246795a5868774d546f334e7a67774c325276593342734c576c756156684a644756344c334277624449354c56684a4c6d527659773d3d&fich=ppl29-XI.doc&Inline=true
  • Law proposal no. 29/XI - First amendment to the Television Act approved by Law no. 27/2007 dated 30 June, 12th amendment to the Publicity Code approved by Law-decree no. 330/90 dated 22 October, as well as first amendment to the law that restructures the Radio and Television public service broadcasters approved by law no. 8/2007 dated 14 February, transposing Directive no. 2007/65/CE of the European Parliament and the European Council dated 11 December 2007

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