Broadcasting Act 1990

178 Offence of supporting proscribed foreign satellite services

(1) This section applies to any foreign satellite service which is proscribed for the purposes of this section by virtue of an order under section 177; and references in this section to a proscribed service are references to any such service.

(2) Any person who in the United Kingdom does any of the acts specified in subsection (3) shall be guilty of an offence.

(3) Those acts are—

(a) supplying any equipment or other goods for use in connection with the operation or day-to-day running of a proscribed service;

(b) supplying, or offering to supply, programme material to be included in any programme transmitted in the provision of a proscribed service;

(c) arranging for, or inviting, any other person to supply programme material to be so included;

(d) advertising, by means of programmes transmitted in the provision of a proscribed service, goods supplied by him or services provided by him;

(e) publishing the times or other details of any programmes which are to be transmitted in the provision of a proscribed service or (otherwise than by publishing such details) publishing an advertisement of matter calculated to promote a proscribed service (whether directly or indirectly);

(f) supplying or offering to supply any decoding equipment which is designed or adapted to be used primarily for the purpose of enabling the reception of programmes transmitted in the provision of a proscribed service.

(4) In any proceedings against a person for an offence under this section, it is a defence for him to prove that he did not know, and had no reasonable cause to suspect, that the service in connection with which the act was done was a proscribed service.

(5) A person who is guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or both;

(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine, or both.

(6) For the purposes of this section a person exposing decoding equipment for supply or having such equipment in his possession for supply shall be deemed to offer to supply it.

(7) Section 46 of the [1987 c. 43.] Consumer Protection Act 1987 shall have effect for the purpose of construing references in this section to the supply of any thing as it has effect for the purpose of construing references in that Act to the supply of any goods.

(8) In this section “programme material” includes—

(a) a film (within the meaning of Part I of the [1988 c. 48.] Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988);

(b) any other recording; and

(c) any advertisement or other advertising material.