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The UK Director General of Fair Trading has issued a report on the BBC's performance in meeting its quota of programmes to be made by independent producers; he is obliged to issue such a report every year. The quota is that not less than 25% of broadcasting time must be allocated to the broadcasting of a range and diversity of independent productions. The report found that the BBC met the target for the year 1 April 1995 to 31 March 1996 with 28.1% of programmes made by independent producers. This represented an increase from 26.5% in the previous year. The Director General was also satisfied that...

The Department of National Heritage concluded a month's negotiations with the BBC, the Independent Television Commission (ITC), and the Broadcasting Standards Council (BSC) by agreeing on a `programme of action' which is the latest attempt to deal with the public's concern regarding violent programming on television. The programme contains four points: the three regulators will continue their efforts to ensure that programme makers adhere to and maintain the proper standards and that any transgressions will be `firmly' dealt with; the three bodies will work together to `educate viewers' about the...

Final proposals on the provision of conditional access services for digital television were published by President of the Board of Trade, Ian Lang, at the end of November 1996. Previous plans were published on 26 June 1996 ( see IRIS 1996-8: 15), and have been the subject of intensive consultation with broadcasters, manufacturers and other interested parties. The current proposals have been developed by the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI), the Department of National Heritage (DNH), the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) and the Independent Television Commission (ITC). They are made under...

Article 177 of the Broadcasting Act 1990 was invoked recently by the National Heritage Secretary under which a foreign satellite service may be proscribed if, in the view of the Independent Television Commission, it is regarded as unacceptable and the Secretary of State believes that the order is in the public interest and compatible with the UK's international obligations. The order, which must be laid before Parliament, was against Rendez-vous; it proscribes the service in the UK, i.e. it makes the supply of smart-cards and programme material, advertising for or on the channel or any other service...

The UK Government made in its 1995 White Paper Competitiveness, Forging Ahead , the commitment to ensure that future EC legislation on copyright would promote the competitiveness of UK industry (para 15.39). Meanwhile, however, the UK has not yet implemented all the current (five) EC Copyright Directives. Until now two statutory instruments (SI) have been issued amending the 1988 Copyright Designs and Patents Act, so as to implement those directives. First, The Copyright (Computer Programs) Regulation 1992 (No 3233) implements the provisions of Council Directive No 91/250/EEC on the Legal Protection...