Monday, December 05, 2005

State aid in the audiovisual sector

A special report by the Council of Europe/European Commission funded European Audiovisual Observatory.

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Content regulation and context

A truly appalling advert for the Mazda MX-5, broadcast pre-watershed, attratced 425 complaints and received widespread coverage. The UK Advertising Standards Authority upheld the decision to show the ad on TV and cinema, previously passed by those self-regulatory authorities. It referred to the 'Carry On' style of the ad, by J. Walter Thompson, which was shown in 4 European countries.
I found it blatantly offensive and realise why - the context not only of being shown to minors, but also because - it simply WASN'T funny. This actually negates the contextual claim.
But consider: as a content self-regulator, you are required to judge whether an advert is funny and acceptable, or pathetic and therefore ill-judged and crass.
The same can of course apply to racial hatred and unfairness claims - satire (e.g. Private Eye or 2DTV) can comment where factual programming cannot.

Sunday, October 02, 2005

New Directive drafted and soon published

The European Commission is NOT regulating the Internet, they say!
http://europa.eu.int/comm/avpolicy/revision-tvwf2005/consult_en.htm

Recommended Text

There is no one recommended textbook for this course.
The library has several copies of ‘Convergence in European Digital TV Regulation’ and ‘Regulating the Global Information Society’ by the course supervisor, chapters of which will be recommended for each topic.

This course runs in Term 2 Topics

1. Introduction to Broadcasting Policy
2. Impact of the Free Movement of Services
3. Access to Infrastructure – Impact of Convergence and the Telecommunications Package
4. Television without Frontiers – Jurisdiction and Enforcement
5. European Cultural Diversity and Programme Quotas
6. Advertising and Commercial Communications
7. Premium Programming and Competition Law
8. Content Regulation and Protection of Human Dignity
9. Review of Television with Frontiers and the Proposed Audiovisual Content Services Directive

LW658/717 - European Broadcasting Law and Policy

Outline:
This course looks at EC audio-visual policy and how it has developed from being an aspect of free movement of services to an area of policy which highlights cultural diversity and protection of fundamental expression rights. It also focuses on particular aspects of audio-visual policy, many of which highlight the tension between economic objectives and social, cultural and political concerns. In doing so, the course will consider how audio-visual policy interrelates with other EC policies and affects Member States’ freedom in this area. This course looks at the broadcast media in context, that is, the rapidly changing digital environment, with some emphasis on practical examples of problems.
Although there is no pre-requisite for this course, students may find it helpful to have studied the free movement of services or issues relating to media or Internet regulation (whether at post-graduate or undergraduate level).