ACT

European Parliament waters down content portability plan

The European Parliament’s decision yesterday to restrict the scope of changes in copyright rules that would enable cross-border consumption of services has elicited mixed reactions from industry bodies. The parliament’s legal affairs committee voted to water down European Commission proposals that would have have enabled broadcasters to show a wide range of content across borders […]

European TV plan risks ‘stunting growth in the sector’

Europe’s commercial broadcasters have said proposed changes to to the main directive covering content and distribution risk stunting growth in the sector, reducing consumer choice, and putting a brake on investment in local programming. Europe is in the throes of revising the AVMS Directive with a view to fostering the digital economy in the region. […]

Commercial broadcasters call for more flexible ad rules

European commercial broadcasters have called for greater flexibility on advertising rules to be part of the changes being made to the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive. Commercial broadcasters told a hearing in the European Parliament hosted by the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group – the broadly Eurosceptic group that includes the UK Conservative Party […]

Broadcasters slam new EC copyright plan to increase mobility

A body  that represents European commercial broadcasters and international media groups has reacted unfavourably to new rules on copyright unveiled by the European Commission that could see an extension of the country of origin principle and weaken the ability of rights-holders to trade on a territory-specific basis. The EC proposals, unveiled to coincide with EC president […]

Biggam bows out from ACT

Ross Biggam, the director-general of the Brussels-based lobby group the Association of Commercial Television in Europe (ACT), is to leave his post at the end of October. Biggam has served as the head of the organization since 2000. He was previously head of European affairs at UK commercial broadcaster ITV. “I’ve enjoyed this chapter of […]

Multi-screening now mainstream, says ad sales bodies’ research

Using multiple screens at the same time and engaging with social media while watching TV is now mainstream across European markets, according to figures compiled by seven industry bodies. According to the research, compiled by European commercial TV association ACT, international ad sales organisation EGTA, French ad sales organisation SNPTV, Dutch TV advertising and marketing […]

TV technology organizations issue anti-interference recommendations

DigiTAG, the EBU, BNE and ACT today have issued a new set of formal recommendations aimed at ensuring the adoption of technical safeguards to protect from harmful interference television services delivered by the digital-terrestrial TV platform. Interference may result from telecoms transmissions emitted from fixed base station towers, known as ‘downlink interference’, or from signals […]