Media Release 14/07
Public Consultation: Major Events and Short News Reporting
The Authority is proposing amendments to the Broadcasting (Jurisdiction and European Co-operation) Regulations 2000.
The proposed amendments deal with Major Events and Short News Reporting.
Major Events
In so far as major events are concerned, the Authority is proposing to define the words ”substantial proportion of the public” as referring to “ninety per cent of the Maltese population who can receive free-to-air broadcasts”.
The Authority is also proposing that the broadcaster who has exclusive rights has to offer those rights to a free-to-air broadcaster at a reasonable market rate. The proposed criteria to be used to determine what constitutes a reasonable market rate are also listed in the draft regulations.
Short News Reporting
The Authority is proposing to include provisions in Maltese law to establish and to regulate the right to short news reporting. This right is important to the public because through this right a primary broadcaster will not be able to monopolise all information with regard to an event which is of high interest to the public so much so that other broadcasters would not have any access to that information. The proposed amendments, following precedents in Germany and Austria, and taking into consideraton both the provisions of the Council of Europe Transfrontier Television Convention and the E.U.’s proposed amendments to the Television Without Frontiers Directive which elaborate on the practicalities of the implementation of the right to short news broadcasting.
Feedback on the proposed standards should be addressed to:
Dr Kevin Aquilina
Chief Executive
Broadcasting Authority
7 Mile End Road
Hamrun HMR02
e-mail: ambuhagiar@ba-malta.org
fax: 21 240855
and should be submitted by not later than Friday, 20th April 2007.
Mario Axiak 28th March 2007
Head Communications & Research Ref 13/01
Broadcasting Authority
PR 1407a.pdf (75.63 KB)