CoBA

Crash-out Brexit threatens ‘huge disruption’ to broadcast

A no-deal Brexit would have a disastrous impact on the UK broadcasting sector, according to commercial broadcasters association COBA. Ahead of the UK parliament’s likely rejection of prime minister Theresa May’s Brexit agreement with the EU, COBA warned that crashing out of the EU would create huge disruption for broadcasters, their workforce and suppliers and […]

COBA sounds alarm on Brexit

COBA, the UK multichannel broadcasters’ association, has once again sounded the alarm on the likely impact of Brexit on the industry and has called on the government to seek an “ambitious” deal on broadcasting before companies are forced to activate their contingency plans. Speaking to the parliamentary committee on exiting the EU, COBA executive director […]

UK pledges ‘best possible arrangements’ for broadcast sector after Brexit

The UK has promised to seek the “best possible arrangements” for the broadcast sector in its white paper on Brexit, but broadcasters have criticised the lack of clarity set out in the government’s plan. The government’s ‘The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union’ white paper, which was published yesterday, promised a […]

COBA calls for ‘urgent clarity’ on Brexit transition

The UK’s Commercial Broadcasters Association (COBA) has called for “urgent clarity” on whether there will be a post-Brexit transition period that will retain the status quo for broadcasters licensed in the UK. COBA said that international broadcasters cannot wait until March 2019 – when the UK is scheduled to leave the EU – to undertake […]

Commercial broadcasters challenge BBC & C4 prominence plea

In response to calls by the BBC and Channel 4 for greater prominence for their digital services, the Commercial Broadcasters Association (COBA) has fired back – warning that intervention should not include changes to traditional linear TV, as doing so could damage much-needed investment in UK children’s programming. According to COBA, its multichannel members invested £23m in first-run, UK-made […]

COBA warns of threat to kids content as Ofcom mulls EPG change

UK multichannel broadcasters’ association COBA has issued a warning that changes to regulations governing the prominence of channels on electronic programme guides could threaten its members’ willingness to invest in kids programming. COBA said that multichannel broadcasters invested an average of £15.6 million (€17.8 million) per year over the last three years in new UK […]

COBA: £1bn annual British TV investment under threat from Brexit

Losing access to EU markets through Brexit could cost the UK’s television market £1 billion (€1.1 billion) per year in investment from international broadcasters, an influential broadcaster body has warned. Research from media analysis firm Oliver & Ohlbaum (O&O) for the Commercial Broadcasters Association (COBA) reveals that international networks invested £1.02 billion in the UK […]

Brexit to drive channel relocation decisions by H1 2018

TV channels that run from the UK but broadcast into Europe will likely have to decide in the first half of next year whether to move their operations due to Brexit uncertainties, warned COBA executive director Adam Minns. Speaking at the Media Summits Brexit Briefing in London last night, Minns raised doubts about the UK’s […]

COBA: Brexit ‘threatens UK’s international position’

The UK leaving the European Union without a trade deal would “jeopardise” the territory’s position as “Europe’s leading international broadcasting hub”, according an influential broadcasting body. “International broadcasters based here would, reluctantly, be forced to restructure their European operations,” said Adam Minns, executive director of the Commercial Broadcasters Association (COBA), in an interview with the […]

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. […]

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