Czechia

[CZ] Bill on video-sharing platforms

IRIS 2022-8:1/14

Jan Fučík

Česká televize

The Parliament of the Czech Republic has adopted a bill on video-sharing platforms which simultaneously amends the Law on Radio and Television Broadcasting and the Law on On-Demand Audiovisual Media Services. The Act implements, into the Czech legal system, the provisions of Directive (EU) 2018/1808 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018, which amends Directive 2010/13/EU on the coordination of certain legal and administrative regulations of the member states governing the provision of audiovisual media services (Audiovisual Media Services Directive) with regard to the changing market situation.

The law introduces, for example, new definitions for terms such as an editorial decision, a programme for children, consumer journalistic programmes and others. There is also a change to the position of the regulatory body - the Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting, which can no longer be dismissed as a whole, but only its individual members. This Council will also be the regulatory body for shared video platforms.

There are big changes in the regulation of advertising on the air. Quantitative restrictions on advertising will be greatly relaxed in accordance with the Directive and broadcasters will be able to broadcast more advertising. Public Czech television can only profit from this to a very limited extent because it has a special arrangement. The protection of disabled persons is also strengthened. After discussions with organisations bringing together persons with hearing impairments and persons with visual impairments, a television broadcaster must draw up an Action Plan for making television programmes accessible for persons with hearing impairments and persons with visual impairments, by which it undertakes to increase the total share of programmes made accessible to such persons compared to the immediately preceding evaluation period through appropriate measures.

The protection of minors is also newly adjusted. The operator of a broadcast will be obliged not to include in the broadcast between 06.00 and 22.00 programmes that could disrupt the physical, psychological or moral development of minors; this obligation does not apply to a broadcaster if the broadcast is available to the end user on the basis of a written contract with a person over the age of 18 and technical measures are provided for it which allows that person to limit access to the broadcast to minors