Broadcasting Act 1981

11 Nature of the Fourth Channel, and its relation to ITV. U.K.

(1) As regards the programmes (other than advertisements) broadcast on the Fourth Channel it shall be the duty of the Authority—

(a) to ensure that the programmes contain a suitable proportion of matter calculated to appeal to tastes and interests not generally catered for by ITV,

(b) without prejudice to so much of section 2(2)(a) as relates to the dissemination of education, to ensure that a suitable proportion of the programmes are of an educational nature,

(c) to encourage innovation and experiment in the form and content of programmes,

and generally to give the Fourth Channel a distinctive character of its own.

(2) While the Authority are providing both ITV and the Fourth Channel it shall be their duty to ensure, so far as is consistent with their duties under subsection (1)—

(a) that, as regards each of those services, the programmes broadcast in that service by the Authority in each area maintain a proper balance and wide range in their subject-matter, having regard both to the programmes as a whole and also to the days of the week on which, and the times of the day at which, the programmes are broadcast; and

(b) that, as between the two services, a proper balance of subject-matter is maintained, having regard both to the programmes broadcast in those services as a whole and also to the days of the week on which, and the times of the day at which, the various programmes are broadcast;

and so long as the Authority are under the duty imposed by this subsection, so much of section 2(2)(b) as relates to the maintenance of a proper balance and wide range in the programmes broadcast by the Authority shall not apply in the case of television programmes so broadcast.

(3) Section 4(1)(d) (programmes to contain a suitable proportion of matter catering for the tastes and outlook of persons served by the station or stations in question and, where another language as well as English is in common use among such persons, a suitable proportion of matter in that language) shall not apply in the case of programmes broadcast on the Fourth Channel.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Ss. 11, 12, 13 modified by Broadcasting Act 1990 (c. 42, SIF 96), s. 129, Sch. 11 Pt. II paras. 3(4), 4