09/12/2008 Culture, Science, Education and Media
“Technological progress in the field of electronic media, notably the internet, which is now widely used for disseminating audiovisual content, means that it is time for a revision of the European Convention on Transfrontier Television,” said Andrew McIntosh (United Kingdom, SOC), author of a report on the regulation of audiovisual media services, approved today by PACE’s Culture Committee.
The rapporteur has made a series of recommendations on the revision of the Convention, in particular its field of application, as well as programming, public access to information, independent programming, media pluralism and advertising. The freedom to broadcast or relay programmes in regardless of frontiers must be protected in the revised Convention, he says, while there should be a stronger role for the Convention’s monitoring body.
The Convention should also be in line with the EU’s new Audiovisual Media Services Directive, which guarantees the freedom of these services within the EU.