Search results : 31

On 9 February 2000, Riikogu, the Estonian parliament, adopted the Telecommunications Act, which establishes requirements for telecommunications networks and services, as well as the procedures for state supervision of compliance with the established norms. One of the basic purposes of the Act is to give a legal definition of universal service. Universal service is "a set of telecommunications services, which conforms with the technical and quality requirements established by the government and which ensures, for an area defined in the license of a public telephone operator, that all customers...

On 1 May 1998 the Act to Regulate Dissemination of Works which contain Pornography or Promote Violence or Cruelty in Estonia entered into force. The scope of the law extends to all forms of works. Under article 1 (1), the dissemination and exhibition of films containing pornography and promoting violence and cruelty to minors is banned. What is more, any broadcasting of such material on television or radio is banned (Article 1(3)). Works containing pornography or promoting violence and cruelty may in principle only be displayed in sales points specially designed for that purpose and only purchased...

On 1 January 1998, the Advertising Act entered into force in Estonia. The Act consists of four chapters and 27 Articles. Under "advertising" the Act understands information "intended to increase the sales of products or services, to promote an event or idea, or to achieve a set objective in some other field, and which is distributed by a publisher of advertising for payment or upon other corresponding considerations". The "publisher of advertising" is a term that is explained as "the public performer of an advertisement, demonstrator to community, producer, mediator or signee of an advertisement...

The draft of a Cable Act in Estonia provides for sector monopoly for cable network operators. Under the Bill, a single licence would be awarded for a specified area. The proposal has been variously received by the Estonian cable network operators. The Estonian Cable Union, to which the majority of cable operators belong, feels the Act is counter to competition, while the Estonian Union of Cable Operators is in favour of the Act, as the reduced competition would mean that less investment was required.

A Broadcasting Bill has been submitted to the Parliament of the Republic of Estonia; at present the 1994 Broadcasting Act is still in force. The main differences between the two lie in the extension of the provisions concerning advertising. Thus in future advertising time may not exceed 15% of daily programme time (at present 20%), and in any one hour no more than 12 minutes of advertising may be broadcast. The scope for broadcasting direct sale offers will in future be limited to a maximum of 3 hours daily (limited at present to one hour). A further change involves the special provisions governing...