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When Will Ofcom Become Obsolete?
Clusterbombed
Posts: 234 Forum Member
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Why exactly do Ofcom need to issue licences to channels which broadcast over IPTV to Freeview HD? They don't ask for a licence from YouTube, so why these other 'internet' channels?
That's the question I've been puzzling over today. Obviously, as long as we have over-the-air broadcasts then we'll need a regulator so that it's not a free-for-all, but do we really need them for the IPTV era? Will it just become a cash-cow for the government, who don't have to provide any infrastructure? At what point does an internet channel become a broadcaster that needs a licence?
That's the question I've been puzzling over today. Obviously, as long as we have over-the-air broadcasts then we'll need a regulator so that it's not a free-for-all, but do we really need them for the IPTV era? Will it just become a cash-cow for the government, who don't have to provide any infrastructure? At what point does an internet channel become a broadcaster that needs a licence?
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I think the answer is this document http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:095:0001:0024:EN:PDF
Aka AVMS directive .
But it is a bit Late for me to point out all the sections which taken together say that TV like IP delivered services should be regulated.
Remember that it regulates radio spectrum and telecommunications too. If all broadcasting stopped and went IP based there would still be a lot for it to do
...and the post !
They say.
Ofcom is the communications regulator. We regulate the TV and radio sectors, fixed line telecoms, mobiles, postal services, plus the airwaves over which wireless devices operate.
Looked at avms .. The motivation is in recital (11)
""
...... that at least a basic tier of coordinated rules apply to all audiovisual media services, both television broadcasting (i.e. linear audiovisual media services) and on-demand audiovisual media services (i.e. non-linear audiovisual media services).
"""
In the light of recital (10)
And augmented by recital (24). Which I quote in full
""
It is characteristic of on-demand audiovisual media services that they are ‘television-like’, i.e. that they compete for the same audience as television broadcasts, and the nature and the means of access to the service would lead the user reasonably to expect regulatory protection within the scope of this Directive. In the light of this and in order to prevent disparities as regards free movement and competition, the concept of ‘programme’ should be interpreted in a dynamic way taking into account developments in television broad* casting. ""
<I> this is what gives us atvod </I>
And then the recitals from about ( 28) to (32 )
Which deal with linear broadcast with and without simulcast in other delivery means