Search results : 150

The Czech Constitutional Court has heard a complaint from a broadcaster about a fine imposed on it for broadcasting a “Big Brother”-type reality show. The Broadcasting Council had decided that the broadcaster should pay a fine of CZK 200,000 for violating Article 32 of Law no. 231/2001, which prohibits broadcasters from broadcasting TV programmes that endanger the physical, spiritual or moral development of children, between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Some parts of the programme had contained scenes that harmed human dignity and interpersonal relations, as well as vulgar and bad language (see IRIS 2005-10/13,...

On 24 June 2010, the European Commission issued a set of reasoned opinions to 12 member states (Austria, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Finland, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, and Slovenia) requesting that they proceed with updating their national broadcasting legislation in order to bring it into compliance with the Audiovisual Media Service (AVMS) Directive. The Directive, which replaced the Television without Frontiers Directive of 1989 (as amended), was adopted in December 1997 with the intention of bringing the EU’s broadcasting rules up to speed with the digital age. The...

The Czech Parliament recently approved amendments to the Law on Electronic Communication. The essence of the amendments lies in an introduction and withdrawal possibility concerning the allocation of radio frequencies. Until now the authorities were not able to modify or withdraw an allocation of radio frequencies. As a result, parts of the frequency spectrum were sometimes blocked. Now, it is possible to withdraw unused frequencies. Another change involves the financing of universal services. Universal services have been funded in two ways: By the operators - a fund of universal services to which...

The Czech Parliament recently adopted a law regulating audiovisual media services. This implementation of the European Directive on Audiovisual Media Services in the Czech Republic took place by means of a new Law on Audiovisual Media Services on Demand and substantial amendments to the Law on Radio and Television Broadcasting. The general objective of the regulation of audiovisual media services on demand is primarily to establish non-discriminatory access to all providers of audiovisual media services (i.e., broadcasters and providers of audiovisual media services on demand) and the protection...

A Czech operator of an electronic services network applied for a broadcasting license. The Czech Broadcasting Council refused his petition with reference to Article 17 paragraph 4 of the Czech Broadcasting Act which states the following: “Licences for radio or television broadcasting disseminated solely by digital transmitters or registrations to operate retransmissions disseminated only digitally [Section 2 paragraph 1, point g), Section 26 and subsequent] may not be awarded to entrepreneurs who provide electronic communications networks (hereafter only “electronic communications network entrepreneurs”)...