Broadcasting Act 1981

24 Buying and selling of programmes by programme contractors. U.K.

(1) The Authority may give directions to any programme contractor requiring him to supply to another programme contractor for inclusion in any comparable programme of his any item supplied or originated by the first programme contractor; and the contracts between the Authority and the various programme contractors shall contain all such provisions as the Authority think necessary or expedient for ensuring—

(a) that each programme contractor will take all reasonable steps to put himself in a position to comply with any directions which may be given to him under this subsection and, when any such directions have been given to him, to enable the other programme contractor to include the item to which the directions relate in any comparable programme of his; and

(b) that if financial and other arrangements for the supply of any item in respect of which directions have been given under this subsection are not agreed between the two programme contractors, or when so agreed do not receive the approval of the Authority required by virtue of subsection (2), the item will be supplied in accordance with such financial and other arrangements as may be determined by the Authority.

(2) The contracts between the Authority and the various programme contractors shall provide that, where items to be included in the programmes of a programme contractor are not originated by that programme contractor, the financial and other arrangements between the programme contractor and the supplier shall require the approval of the Authority—

(a) in all cases where the supplier is another programme contractor, and

(b) in such other cases as the Authority may from time to time direct;

and directions given for the purposes of this subsection may apply to programme contractors generally or may be different for different programme contractors.

(3) For the purposes of this section two programmes shall be regarded as being comparable if either—

(a) both are television programmes, or

(b) both are local sound broadcasts.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Ss. 21–25 modified (temp. ending with 31.12.1992) by Broadcasting Act 1990 (c. 42, SIF 96), s. 129, Sch. 11 Pt. II paras. 2(2)(b), 4(4), 5

C2 Ss. 21–25 modified by Broadcasting Act 1990 (c. 42, SIF 96), s. 129, Sch. 11 Pt. IV para. 2(3)(b)(4)

C3 S. 24 excluded by Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984 (c. 46, SIF 96), s. 37(2)(e)