1. This Order may be cited as the Television Multiplex Services (Renewal of Multiplex Licences) Order 2021 and comes into force on 13th September 2021.
2.—(1) In this Order—
(a)“the 1996 Act” means the Broadcasting Act 1996(1);
(b)“the 2003 Act” means the Communications Act 2003;
(c)“Multiplex A” means the television multiplex service which, on the day this Order is made, SDN Limited(2) is authorised to provide by virtue of the licence to that effect (“the Multiplex A licence”) granted under Part 1 of the 1996 Act by the Independent Television Commission(3) on 26th May 1998 and renewed under that Part by OFCOM on 8th May 2009(4);
(d)“Multiplex B” means the television multiplex service which, on the day this Order is made, BBC Free to View Limited(5) is authorised to provide by virtue of the licence to that effect (“the Multiplex B licence”) granted under Part 1 of the 1996 Act by the Independent Television Commission on 16th August 2002 and renewed under that Part by OFCOM on 6th February 2013(6);
(e)“Multiplex C” means the television multiplex service which, on the day this Order is made, Arqiva Muxco Limited(7) is authorised to provide by virtue of the licence to that effect (“the Multiplex C licence”) granted under Part 1 of the 1996 Act by the Independent Television Commission on 16th August 2002 and renewed under that Part by OFCOM on 17th February 2012(8);
(f)“Multiplex D” means the television multiplex service which, on the day this Order is made, Arqiva Muxco Limited is authorised to provide by virtue of the licence to that effect (“the Multiplex D licence”) granted under Part 1 of the 1996 Act by the Independent Television Commission on 16th August 2002 and renewed under that Part by OFCOM on 17th February 2012(9);
(g)“Multiplex 2” means the television multiplex service which, on the day this Order is made, Digital 3 and 4 Limited(10) is authorised to provide by virtue of the licence to that effect (“the Multiplex 2 licence”) granted under Part 1 of the 1996 Act by the Independent Television Commission on 19th December 1997 and renewed under that Part by OFCOM on 3rd June 2009(11).
(2) References in this Order (however expressed)—
(a)to the Multiplex A licence, the Multiplex B licence, the Multiplex C licence, the Multiplex D licence or the Multiplex 2 licence include references to those licences as amended from time to time by OFCOM, whether before or (so far as the context permits) after the day on which this Order is made;
(b)to the holder of any licence, in relation to any time, are to the person who is the holder of the licence in question at that time.
(3) In relation to the Isle of Man, references in this Order to any provision of the 1996 Act or 2003 Act are to that provision as it has effect in the Isle of Man.
(4) In relation to the Bailiwick of Guernsey, references in this Order to any provision of the 1996 Act or 2003 Act are to that provision as it has effect in the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
(5) In relation to Jersey, references in this Order to any provision of the 1996 Act or 2003 Act are to that provision as it has effect in Jersey.
3. Part 1 of the 1996 Act (digital terrestrial television broadcasting) has effect in relation to—
(a)the Multiplex A licence,
(b)the Multiplex B licence,
(c)the Multiplex C licence,
(d)the Multiplex D licence, and
(e)the Multiplex 2 licence,
with the modifications set out in the Schedule.
John Whittingdale
Minister of State
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
11th August 2021