In May 2024, the Media Act 2024 received Royal Assent and was passed into law. The legislation represents the biggest change to the public service media framework in two decades.
The Act makes changes to Ofcom’s existing responsibilities as the UK’s regulator of broadcast media, including:
- Updating the regulatory framework for commercial radio to secure important local content;
- Ensuring that the UK public service broadcasters (PSB) can deliver obligations, such as quotas, wherever audiences expect them and not just on linear TV; and
- Introducing new duties to secure prominence for PSB content and accessibility of UK radio through voice assistants.
Earlier this year Ofcom published its roadmap for compliance. Since then, it has been working alongside industry and government to prepare for its new duties. This has included publishing a call for evidence about updating the listed events regime, the rules which ensure that coverage of certain major sporting events, such as the Olympics or FIFA World Cup, is widely available and free for audiences.
As we reported in last week’s techlaw round-up, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has laid the first commencement regulations before the UK Parliament, bringing certain provisions into force on 23 August. Those regulations allow Ofcom to continue its implementation plans, including:
- Preparing for new duties for video-on-demand services including reviewing their audience protection measures.
- Further developing Ofcom’s approach for new measures on how public service broadcasters (PSBs) will show how they deliver to the updated and modernised public service remit across their services.
- Preparing for new duties for voice-activated platforms, including deciding the principles and methods Ofcom will apply in making a recommendation to the Secretary of State about which platforms are included.
- Continuing to develop the processes for designating the services which will be in scope for the new rules to ensure online PSB services are both available on popular TV platforms and capable of being easily found and discovered by audiences.
Ofcom is continuing to work towards the timelines set out in its roadmap and will continue to rely on further commencement orders and secondary legislation being enacted. Ofcom says that it will launch a dedicated “Media Act ImplementationHub” on the Ofcom website which will provide regular updates. It will also act as a home for the consultations and other publications in the coming months.
