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Communications Act 2003

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Changes over time for: Paragraph 9

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Changes to legislation:

Communications Act 2003, Paragraph 9 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 28 February 2025. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. Help about Changes to Legislation

This section has no associated Explanatory Notes

9(1)It shall be the duty of [F1S4C], in relation to their designated public services, to secure—U.K.

(a)that the programmes included in each service include news programmes and current affairs programmes;

(b)that the news programmes and current affairs programmes included in each service deal with both national and international matters; and

(c)that the news programmes so included are broadcast for viewing at intervals throughout the period for which the service is provided.

(2)It shall be the duty of [F2S4C], in relation to each of their designated public services, to ensure that the news programmes and current affairs programmes included in each service are of high quality.

(3)It shall also be the duty of [F3S4C], in relation to each of their designated public services, to secure that in each year—

(a)the time allocated to the broadcasting of news programmes included in the service, and

(b)the time allocated to the broadcasting of current affairs programmes so included,

each constitutes no less than the proportion fixed under sub-paragraph (5) of the time allocated to the broadcasting of all the programmes included in the service.

(4)It is the further duty of [F4S4C], in relation to each of their designated public services, to secure that the time allocated—

(a)to the broadcasting of news programmes included in the service, and

(b)to the broadcasting of current affairs programmes so included,

is, in each case, split, in the manner fixed under sub-paragraph (5), between peak viewing times and other times.

(5)The fixing for the purposes of sub-paragraph (3) or (4) of a proportion or manner of splitting allocated time is to be—

(a)by agreement between [F5S4C] and OFCOM; or

(b)in default of agreement, by a direction given by OFCOM to [F6S4C] fixing the proportion or manner according to whatever OFCOM consider appropriate.

(6)The agreement or direction may, for the purposes of sub-paragraph (4), fix a proportion for the purposes of sub-paragraph (3) in terms of the cumulative effect of two different minimum proportions, one applying to peak viewing times and the other to other times.

(7)The services that are designated public services for the purposes of this paragraph are—

F7(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b)S4C Digital; and

(c)any of [F8S4C’s] other public television services which is designated for the purposes of this paragraph by the order under section 205 approving its provision.

(8)In this paragraph “peak viewing time”, in relation to a service, means a time that is determined in accordance with sub-paragraph (9) to be a peak viewing time for that service.

(9)The determination for the purposes of this paragraph of a peak viewing time is to be—

(a)by agreement between [F9S4C] and OFCOM; or

(b)in default of agreement, by a direction given by OFCOM to [F10S4C] determining that time.

Textual Amendments

Commencement Information

I1Sch. 12 para. 9 in force at 29.12.2003 by S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)

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