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The Supreme Court (Revisional Jurisdiction) decided on 5 November 2008 that “The Radio Television Authority (CRTA) is obliged to request the views of the Radio Television Advisory Committee before issuing its verdict only where such an action is imposed by the Law and not in all cases or on all issues ”. The requirement to seek advice was not deemed compulsory in the case examined (Case Dias Publishing House LTD v. Radio Television Authority, Appeal no. 54/2006) and the appeal was dismissed by the five-member, with one justice dissenting. The case was brought to the Supreme Court by the Dias Publishing...

The government of the Republic of Cyprus publicised initial decisions on the introduction of terrestrial digital television on the island. According to informations released on 3 October 2008 by the Ministers of Interior and of Communications and Works, plans are on the way in order to meet the European Union deadline of complete digitalisation by 2012. Thus, all analogue broadcasts will cease in the course of 2011. Analogue and digital programmes will coexist for a couple of years. Two terrestrial digital platforms are to be created; one will be leased to the public broadcaster Cyprus Broadcasting...

The Cypriot Law on the Protection of Copyright and Neighbouring Rights is a generic document that extends legal protection to all kinds of intellectual works. It was first introduced in order to comply with the provisions of two International Conventions ratified by the Republic, namely the Convention of Berne on the protection of literary and artistic works and the Convention of Rome on the protection of phonograms and broadcasting productions. Several amendments in the last decade aimed to harmonise the Law with the country's European Convention obligations. Specific reference to the conventions...

Due to the absence of any relevant provision in the law, it was not possible to grant an authorisation for a bingo television programme to a private television channel. This was the decision of the Supreme Court on an appeal of Sigma TV against a refusal of the Finance Minister to allow Sigma TV to carry a game show called "Telebingo". The broadcaster had applied for a bingo authorisation after the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation, the public service broadcaster, was granted the right to carry the game show “Superbingo”. Sigma TV challenged the refusal of the authorisation on the grounds that it...

News bulletins of a duration of less than 30 minutes must not be interrupted by advertisement breaks. An amendment to Article 33 of the Radio and Television Stations Law 7(I)/1998 has put news bulletins on the list of programmes less than 30 minutes long, which must be free of advertisements and tele-shopping. These programmes include documentaries, current affairs, religious and children programmes. The amendment brings the law into line with the relevant provision of the Television without Frontiers Directive (Article 11, paragraph 5). The provision of the law in force before the current amendment...