Broadcasting Act 1990

20 Duration and renewal of Channel 3 licences. U.K.

(1) A Channel 3 licence shall (subject to the provisions of this Part) continue in force for a period of ten years, and may (subject to the following provisions of this section) be renewed on one or more occasions for a period of ten years beginning with the date of renewal.

(2) An application for the renewal of a Channel 3 licence under subsection (1) may be made by the licence holder not earlier than four years before the date on which it would otherwise cease to be in force and not later than the relevant date.

(3) Where any such application is made before the relevant date, the Commission may postpone the consideration of it by them for as long as they think appropriate having regard to subsection (8).

(4) Where an application for the renewal of a Channel 3 licence has been duly made to the Commission, they may only (subject to subsection (5)) refuse the application if—

(a) they are not satisfied that the applicant would, if his licence were renewed, provide a service which complied—

(i) with the conditions included in the licence in pursuance of subsection (1) of section 33 (whether as originally imposed or as varied under subsection (3) of that section), and

(ii) with the requirements specified in section 16(2) or (3) (as the case may be); or

(b) they propose to grant a fresh Channel 3 licence for the provision of a service which would differ from that provided by the applicant under his licence as respects either—

(i) the area for which it would be provided, or

(ii) the times of the day or days of the week between or on which it would be provided,

or both.

(5) Section 17(5) to (7) shall apply in relation to an applicant for the renewal of a Channel 3 licence as those provisions apply in relation to such an applicant as is mentioned in section 17(5), but as if any reference to the awarding of such a licence to the applicant were a reference to the renewal of the applicant’s licence under this section.

(6) On the grant of any such application the Commission—

(a) shall determine an amount which is to be payable to the Commission by the applicant in respect of the first complete calendar year falling within the period for which the licence is to be renewed; and

(b) may specify a different percentage from that specified under section 15(1)(d)(ii) as the percentage of qualifying revenue for each accounting period of his that will be payable by the applicant in pursuance of section 19(1)(c) during the period for which the licence is to be renewed.

(7) The amount determined by the Commission under subsection (6)(a) in connection with the renewal of a licence shall be such amount as would, in their opinion, be payable to them by virtue of section 19(1)(a) if they were granting a fresh licence to provide the Channel 3 service in question.

(8) Where the Commission have granted a person’s application under this section they shall formally renew his licence not later than the relevant date or, if that is not reasonably practicable, as soon after that date as is reasonably practicable; and they shall not so renew his licence unless they have notified him of—

(a) the amount determined by them under subsection (6)(a), and

(b) any percentage specified by them under subsection (6)(b),

and he has, within such period as is specified in that notification, notified them that he consents to the licence being renewed on those terms.

(9) Where a Channel 3 licence has been renewed under this section—

(a) any conditions included in it in pursuance of section 19 shall have effect during the period for which the licence has been renewed—

(i) as if the amount determined by the Commission under subsection (6)(a) above were an amount specified in a cash bid submitted by the licence holder, and

(ii) subject to any determination made under subsection (6)(b) above;

(b) (subject to paragraph (a)) that section shall have effect in relation to the period for which the licence has been renewed as it has effect in relation to the period for which a Channel 3 licence is originally in force; and

(c) the reference in section 42(4) to the end of the period for which a Channel 3 licence is to continue in force shall, in relation to the licence, be construed as a reference to the end of the period for which it has been renewed.

(10) In this section “the relevant date”, in relation to a Channel 3 licence, means the date which the Commission determine to be that by which they would need to publish a notice under section 15(1) if they were to grant, as from the date on which that licence would expire if not renewed, a fresh licence to provide the Channel 3 service formerly provided under that licence.