Lenka Hrivnáková, Author at The Association of Commercial Television

NAGRAVISION LAUNCHES AI-POWERED ANTI-PIRACY PLATFORM AS STREAMING THREATS INTENSIFY

Nagravision has unveiled NAGRA Venturi, a new intelligence-led streaming security platform designed to help broadcasters, streaming services and rights holders combat increasingly sophisticated piracy operations.

The new offering brings together the company’s existing streaming security technologies under a single framework that uses data analytics and artificial intelligence to identify, prioritise and disrupt piracy activity in real time.

The launch comes as piracy operations become more automated and increasingly AI-assisted, enabling illegal streaming services to scale rapidly and target high-value live events, particularly sports rights.

Nagravision says NAGRA Venturi moves anti-piracy efforts away from fragmented tools and reactive enforcement towards a coordinated intelligence-led approach. The platform aggregates data from across the streaming ecosystem to provide a real-time view of piracy activity and identify the threats with the greatest commercial impact.

“With AI in the hands of pirates, the market has reached an inflection point,” said Morten Solbakken, EVP and COO at Nagravision. “As piracy becomes faster, more automated, and increasingly intelligent, the industry needs a new approach. NAGRA Venturi is built to fight AI with AI, giving operators and rights holders the ability to move faster and with greater precision.”

The platform is built around three core principles: clarity, focus and impact. Nagravision says the system combines intelligence from multiple sources into a single operational view, prioritises high-value threats during critical events such as live sports broadcasts, and measures anti-piracy activity against business outcomes including revenue protection and audience retention.

A key component of the new offering is NEXUS, Nagravision’s Anti-Piracy Center, which provides managed monitoring, intelligence gathering, investigation and enforcement services. The company says its wider visibility across the piracy ecosystem allows it to identify infrastructure and content leaks that individual operators may be unable to detect on their own.

The launch builds on Nagravision’s established portfolio of content protection technologies, including forensic watermarking and multi-DRM solutions, which remain available as standalone products within the Venturi portfolio.

“For more than 30 years, Nagravision has protected the world’s most valuable content,” added Solbakken. “Built on that heritage – and informed by decades of front-line anti-piracy intelligence – NAGRA Venturi moves content protection from a reactive, tool-based model to a proactive, intelligence-led one designed for today’s piracy landscape.”

The announcement reflects a broader industry trend towards the use of AI-powered security tools as broadcasters and rights holders face increasing pressure to protect premium content, particularly live sports, from organised piracy networks.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

JOINT LETTER FROM ASSOCIATIONS ON TRANSPARENCY AND LABELING IN THE FIELD OF AI

Dear Executive-Vice President Henna Virkkunen,

We are writing on behalf of associations representing the audio and audiovisual media community in Europe. Our members produce and distribute trusted media content across the EU, contributing significantly to media pluralism and serving as a credible counterweight to disinformation. We welcome the Commission’s efforts to provide clarity on the transparency obligations under Article 50 AI Act. However, we have serious concerns about several aspects of the draft Guidelines that risk producing outcomes that are disproportionate, technically un
workable and ultimately counterproductive.

Our overarching concern is that the draft guidelines adopt an overly broad interpretation of the provisions in article 50(4), (5) and article 3 No. 60. Therefore, we urge for the following amendments to the guidelines.

• Narrow and clarify the deepfake definition (para. 107-109): Limit it to content pre senting an actual risk of deception instead of extending onto merely “realistic” content. Explicitly exclude fictitious, non-deceptive content as well as minor con tent or technical adjustments.

• Clarify timing of disclosure to avoid persistent labelling (para. 132): Avoid continuous or persistent labelling obligations across content that would compromise audience engagement.

• Ensure proportionate and technically workable labelling standards that account for human perceptual limits and avoid a “banner blindness” effect.

As currently drafted, the guidelines would generate excessive and unsustainable over-la belling across a broad range of professional media content. Complying with all require ments would effectively mean that a permanent label must be displayed, even in low-risk environments. This outcome would entail substantial technical and operational burdens and – more importantly – undermine audiences’ trust in media by creating the perception of unreliability through visual clutter rather than genuine concern. This is particularly concerning, given that media service providers already operate under strict standards, ensuring regulatory oversight and human editorial responsibility. First, the deepfake definition in the draft guidelines far exceeds the scope foreseen in the AI Act. By equating the criterion of “existing” with a broader notion of “realistic” content, the guidelines depart significantly from the text and intent of Article 3(60). Similarly, by assessing audience impact against the most easily misled viewer rather than an average recipient, the draft lowers the standard far below that applied in Article 50(1) and the Commission’s established practice.

Taken together, these choices would extend the labelling obligation to content that is clearly fictitious or non-deceptive, generating legal uncertainty, undermining the risk based approach of the AI Act and producing systemic over-labelling. The definition and related obligations should not extend to content that is clearly fictitious or unrealistic and does not create genuine confusion about authenticity. Furthermore, not only minor technical but also minor content adjustments should be excluded from the notion of deep fake.

Secondly, the Guidelines misread the timing rule foreseen in the AI Act. Article 50(5 fixes the latest moment for disclosure. It does not create a continuous obligation. The reading in paragraph 132 that deepfakes must be labelled persistently or at later stages of a live broadcast is therefore disproportionate and has no basis in the law. This affects audiovisual as well as audio content, where persistent or repeated disclosure is particularly im practical and risks disrupting the listening experience. The guidelines themselves acknowledge the risk of “banner blindness”: labelling large volumes of non-deceptive content will desensitise audiences, undermining the transparency objective in precisely the cases where it matters most.

The Guidelines, as drafted, risk achieving the opposite of their stated objective: rather than building audience trust in AI transparency, they would flood viewers with labels on non-deceptive content, eroding the very signal they are meant to convey. Targeted adjust ments to the deepfake definition and the implementation/labelling requirements and the allocation of responsibility are essential to ensure the Guidelines are both legally sound and workable in practice. We would welcome the opportunity to jointly discuss and further elaborate on this matter
with you and your team at your convenience.

Yours sincerely

Signatories (in alphabetical order):

1. Arbeitsgemeinschaft Privater Rundfunk (APR)
2. Asociace komerčních televizí (AKTV)
3. Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe (ACT)
4. Association of European Radios (AER)
5. European Association of Television and Radio Sales Houses (egta)
6. European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
7. Verband Österreichischer Privatsender (VÖP)
8. Verband Privater Medien (VAUNET)

THEY TOLD HIM NOT TO DO IT. YET THE YOUNG MAN FROM THE ČESKOKRUMLOV AREA SHARED THE SPORTS MATCH

Sportlive24.tv is seeking compensation of over half a million crowns from a 19-year-old man from the Český Krumlov area who, in May, filmed and subsequently shared the company’s martial arts broadcast on his Facebook profile. The young man reportedly did not let himself be deterred from broadcasting, despite warnings in the comments.

“During the unauthorised broadcast, the individual in question was repeatedly warned in the comments section under the live stream on Facebook by the official Sportlive24.tv profile that he was infringing broadcasting rights,” said the company’s director, Jiří Hendrych.

He mentioned that the young man did not respond to this warning, deleted the comments and blocked the Sportlive24.tv profile. “From our perspective, therefore, it cannot be said that he was unaware of the nature of his actions, or that he did not know he was broadcasting content without the rights holder’s consent,” added Hendrych.

He confirmed that the company would claim the full amount of damages, approximately 600,000 crowns. “The loss of earnings is calculated for every single person who watched the broadcast recorded by the accused. We are legally entitled to this money and we will seek to recover it. We hope this will deter others who might want to film and share such broadcasts,” said Hendrych.

He emphasised that the company would take this approach in all similar cases. “No one is anonymous on the internet, and everyone should be aware of their own responsibility,” added Hendrych.

The young man paid for the broadcast on the aforementioned platform and then recorded it on his mobile phone on the night of 27 May. At least 1,900 people watched his live stream. The police have charged him with the criminal offence of infringing copyright, rights related to copyright and database rights. In addition to paying damages, he faces up to two years in prison.

Source: novinky.cz

EUROPOL-BACKED OPERATION DISMANTLES ILLEGAL STREAMING NETWORKS

A major international law enforcement operation has dismantled 9 organised crime groups behind illegal streaming services.

Operation KRATOS 2, coordinated by Bulgaria with support from Europol, ran from September 2025 to April 2026 and targeted criminal networks distributing unauthorised access to premium sports, film and television content.

The operation resulted in 29 arrests, 86 suspects identified and 148 house searches. Authorities also removed 27,332 illegal streaming URLs and reported 169 domains.

Europol said the investigation focused not only on taking down websites, but on disrupting the wider criminal ecosystem behind illegal IPTV and streaming platforms.

The groups used complex technical infrastructure, separating customer-facing websites from servers hosting illegal content and distributing operations across several countries to avoid detection.

Investigators identified 722,961 infringing objects, while cooperation with private sector partners helped uncover 4,370 new piracy-linked domains, 18,331 associated IP addresses and 397,384 URLs for suspension or removal.

Europol co-led operational coordination with Bulgaria’s General Directorate Combating Organised Crime, supporting intelligence exchange, cross-border cooperation and technical analysis.

Participating countries included Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, the UK and the US.

Europol worked with audiovisual and anti-piracy partners including AAPA, ACE/MPA, LALIGA, UEFA, Friend MTS, beIN Media Group and Irdeto.

Authorities warned that illegal streaming services expose users not only to copyright infringement, but also to malware, spyware, data theft and other cybersecurity risks.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

POLICE SHUT DOWN UK ILLEGAL STREAMING DATA CENTRE

City of London Police have seized more than £1.2 million worth of equipment after shutting down a major illegal streaming data centre in Farnborough.

The operation was led by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), working with Sky, and disrupted thousands of illicit streams across the UK.

Police said the data centre hosted clusters of high-bandwidth servers used to supply illegal streams to many thousands of customers nationwide.

Two people were arrested in connection with the operation, while £700,000 was seized from one individual. Both have since been released under investigation.

Detective Sergeant Ben Hobbs of PIPCU said the size of the operation showed how widespread illegal streaming had become in the UK.

“We will continue to work closely with industry partners like Sky to disrupt these illegal streaming networks and protect consumers,” he said.

Sky’s group director of anti-piracy, Matt Hibbert, said illegal streaming was part of organised criminality that undermines the creative industries and posed risks to consumers.

Police and industry partners warned that illegal IPTV services can expose users to compromised devices, personal data theft, banking fraud and identity fraud.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

ACE WINS FRENCH RULING AGAINST SPLIIIT PASSWORD-SELLING SERVICE

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment has welcomed a ruling by the Paris Judicial Court against subscription-sharing platform Spliiit.

The ruling centres on Spliiit’s role in creating a marketplace for streaming subscriptions. The court found the company facilitated the resale of access to services including Apple TV+, Disney+ and Netflix by connecting subscribers with third parties, a practice it said breached the contractual terms governing those subscriptions.

ACE said the ruling confirms that Spliiit was engaged in illicit password selling, where commercial operators facilitate the unauthorised sale of streaming service login credentials to multiple users in return for commission.

The coalition stressed that the case was not about sharing passwords within a family, but about commercial exploitation of subscriptions in breach of platform terms.

The court found that sharing Apple, Netflix and Disney subscriptions with third parties solely for that purpose breached the contracts binding those subscribers.

Larissa Knapp, EVP and Chief Content Protection Officer at the Motion Picture Association, said services that turn subscription credentials into a marketplace “exploit creators, consumers, and legitimate platforms”.

The court also found Spliiit had misled consumers by claiming its service did not infringe copyright or violate platform terms of service.

ACE said the ruling supports its wider efforts to protect the legal market for creative content and reduce unauthorised access to streaming services.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

TV PIRACY IN GERMANY RISES SHARPLY, HITTING €2.4BN IN ANNUAL LOSSES

Illegal access to free-TV or pay-TV livestreams caused an estimated €2.4bn in economic damage in Germany last year, according to a new study published by industry association VAUNET.

The figure represents a 33% increase compared with the previous assessment in 2022, despite ongoing technical protections, court action and public‑awareness efforts.

The report, compiled by consultancy Goldmedia, estimates that the state missed out on around €542m in taxes and social‑security contributions in 2025, up nearly 40% on 2022. Media companies directly affected by piracy suffered losses of roughly €1.5bn, with further costs arising along the wider value chain.

Around 7.7 million people in Germany accessed illegal linear TV streams in 2025, the study found. Usage was highest among 16‑ to 33‑year‑olds, with almost three‑quarters of respondents saying illicit streams were the most convenient way to watch live television. At the same time, the authors note that willingness to use legal services increases when illegal alternatives are unavailable.

VAUNET Managing Director Frank Giersberg said the findings underline the scale of the problem:

“TV piracy remains a mass phenomenon with significant damage for media providers, media plurality and the public purse. We urgently need more effective tools to curb illegal TV use and protect media diversity.”

The association is calling for faster and clearer obligations for platforms and hosting services to remove unlawful content, more dynamic blocking measures that allow access providers to disrupt illegal live streams during broadcasts, and a more efficient allocation of responsibility so that rights holders can act against illegal services without first having to identify largely anonymous operators.

The study (PDF) is based on passive measurement of the online behaviour of more than 2,500 users, combined with a representative online survey of over 500 people who consume illegal linear TV streams. The survey was conducted between 4 and 16 June 2025. It focuses on illegally distributed free‑to‑air and pay‑TV streams; piracy involving downloads or video‑on‑demand content was not included.

The authors note that the actual extent of illegal use of linear TV streams is likely to be significantly higher than the survey results suggest, due to respondents under reporting socially undesirable behaviour.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

UK HIGH COURT INTRODUCES BROADER “OMNIBUS” PIRACY BLOCKING ORDER

The UK High Court has reportedly approved a new “omnibus” site-blocking order allowing rightsholders to move more quickly against piracy services that change domains or branding to evade enforcement.

The order, welcomed by the Motion Picture Association (MPA), is designed to reduce the need for repeated court applications each time pirate operators switch websites or launch mirror services. The move comes as piracy operators increasingly automate domain creation and use more agile infrastructure to avoid blocks.

While the judgment itself has not yet been published, reports indicate it stems from a May 7 High Court ruling in Columbia Pictures and others v British Telecommunications and others, filed in late 2025. According to industry reports, the case extends existing UK dynamic blocking powers beyond specific domains and even beyond “pirate brands”.

Previous UK Section 97A Copyright Act orders required rights holders to identify individual domains for blocking. A 2022 extension allowed action against mirror sites and related pirate brands. The new order reportedly goes further, permitting action against “structurally infringing audiovisual piracy services” meeting defined criteria, without fresh applications for every new site or domain.

The MPA said the order reflects the changing nature of piracy operations.

“Piracy operators often respond by quickly moving to new domains, copycat services, or rebranded websites. That constant ‘hopping’ undermines enforcement and forces rightsholders, courts and intermediaries into repetitive processes,”

the association said.

The development is linked to wider MPA proposals presented to WIPO ahead next month’s Advisory Committee on Enforcement meetings. The paper argues that modern anti-piracy systems should involve a wider range of intermediaries including ISPs, search engines, VPN providers, DNS resolvers, registrars and CDNs. It cites evidence suggesting ISP site blocking reduces traffic to piracy sites by an average of 89%, with stronger results reported in markets including Italy, France, Brazil and India.

The UK move mirrors broader European efforts. France’s Arcom last week published new agreements aimed at speeding cooperation between rights holders, search engines, DNS operators and VPN providers, while Italy has expanded use of rapid blocking under Piracy Shield and intensified enforcement actions against sports piracy networks.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

ITALY DISMANTLES €300 MILLION STREAMING PIRACY NETWORK

Italian authorities have dismantled a major streaming piracy operation centred on an application known as CINEMAGOAL, in a case that investigators say resulted in an estimated €300 million in losses to broadcasters and streaming platforms including Sky, DAZN, Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify.

The investigation, led by Italy’s Guardia di Finanza and prosecutors in Bologna, targeted what police described as a previously unseen piracy system. Unlike traditional IPTV operations based around illegal set-top boxes, the system used an app linked to foreign servers that illegally decrypted content streams.

Investigators said virtual machines operating continuously in Italy captured access credentials from legitimate subscriptions registered to fictitious users and retransmitted them every three minutes. The system reportedly avoided direct IP association, making detection harder for rights holders and platforms. Pirated subscriptions were sold for between €40 and €130 per year.

The operation extended beyond Italy. Working with Eurojust, authorities seized foreign servers holding decryption data and source code, while coordinated actions were carried out in France and Germany.

Italian authorities also uncovered use of traditional illegal streaming devices known locally as “pezzotto”. Around 1,000 identified users now face fines ranging from €154 to €5,000.

Andrea Duilio, Chief Executive Officer of Sky Italia, said:

“I would like to thank the Ravenna Financial Police and the Bologna Public Prosecutor’s Office for this significant anti-piracy operation, which demonstrates their growing effectiveness in combating even the most sophisticated technologies. Those who choose to stream content illegally not only line the pockets of criminal organisations with millions in profits, but also risk penalties and expose their personal data to theft and fraud.”

The case continues Italy’s increasingly aggressive anti-piracy campaign, particularly around sports rights. Earlier operations such as “Taken Down” and “Switch Off” shut down major IPTV services including IPTVItalia, migliorIPTV and DarkTV, with investigators claiming millions of users globally were affected. Those actions targeted illegal distribution of content from Sky, DAZN, Mediaset, Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and Paramount.

Italy has also introduced Piracy Shield, requiring rapid blocking of suspected piracy sources, although the system has faced criticism after accidental blocking incidents affecting legitimate services.

The latest action comes as regulators across Europe intensify anti-piracy efforts. On Thursday, France’s Arcom announced new measures aimed at improving cooperation between rights holders, search engines, DNS providers and VPN operators in tackling sports piracy.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

ARCOM STEPS UP ACTION AGAINST SPORTS PIRACY

French regulator Arcom has published new guidance and model agreements designed to strengthen cooperation between sports rights holders and technical intermediaries in the fight against online piracy.

The documents are aimed at improving exchanges with search engines, alternative DNS services and VPN providers, as France continues efforts to make blocking and delisting measures faster and more effective.

Arcom said the direct loss linked to illegal sports broadcasts in France was estimated at €290 million in 2024, excluding lost tax and social security revenue. The regulator said professional clubs are most directly affected, but the wider sports ecosystem also suffers, including amateur clubs that benefit from France’s “Buffet tax” on sports rights revenues.

In 2025, Arcom said 1,845 services were delisted from search engines out of a total of 6,496 blocked services. It added that 81% of blocking requests sent to internet service providers were also sent to alternative DNS services, representing 5,263 notified requests.

Following the first French court rulings involving VPN providers in May 2025, Arcom has demanded the blocking of 598 domain names from those providers.

The new notice and model agreements are intended to support simultaneous and rapid anti-piracy action by rights holders and intermediaries.

Arcom has also developed a centralised system listing domain names subject to blocking or delisting demands linked to court rulings on sports content.

The regulator is inviting technical intermediaries to connect to the system, with an interface contract available to support implementation.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

OTO KLEMPÍŘ VS. MARTIN BAXA: THE DIGIMEDIA 2026 CONFERENCE WILL FEATURE A ‘MINISTERIAL’ DEBATE ON PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA

The 21st edition of the DIGIMEDIA 2026 conference, taking place on Wednesday 3 June 2026 in the Congress Hall of Czech Television in Prague’s Kavčí Hory district, will feature a debate between the current and former Ministers of Culture: Oto Klempíř of Motoristé sobě and Martin Baxa of the ODS. Both politicians will take part in the opening discussion session focusing on the funding of public service media, specifically Czech Television and Czech Radio. It is precisely these media organisations that are affected by the draft Public Service Media Act, which was submitted by the Ministry of Culture in April and for which the inter-ministerial consultation process concluded last week.

Continuation of the heated debate from TV Nova

Oto Klempíř and Martin Baxa had already clashed during Saturday’s discussion on TV Nova’s ‘Za pět minut dvanáct’, with the new bill being the main topic on which both politicians did not mince their words. The debate at the DIGIMEDIA 2026 conference will offer more scope for discussion and confrontation with other guests: Marit af Björkesten, Director-General of the Finnish public service broadcaster YLE, Milan Fridrich, Deputy Director-General of Czech Television; Martina Májíček Poliaková, Director of Strategic Development at Czech Radio; Marek Singer, President of the Association of Commercial Television Stations; Jiří Hrabák, Chairman of the Association of Private Broadcasters; and David Smoljak (STAN), Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Media.

Did the previous government destabilise the situation surrounding public service media by pushing through an increase in the TV and radio licence fee and extending this obligation to households with a computer, tablet or smartphone? Or is it, on the contrary, the current cabinet and its plan to abolish the licence fees and transfer the funding of Czech Television and Czech Radio to the state budget that is destabilising the Czech media market? These are just some of the questions to which the guests of the opening debate at the DIGIMEDIA 2026 conference will seek answers, led by moderator Daniel Stach. The views of the current and former Ministers of Culture on the method of funding public service media differ diametrically.

Oto Klempíř believes the law will take effect from the New Year

Minister Oto Klempíř and his department aim to replace the existing legislation concerning Czech Television and Czech Radio. However, his draft bill faces fierce criticism from the opposition, media experts and lawyers, and hundreds of comments were received during the inter-ministerial consultation process, including from government departments. The inter-ministerial consultation process on the bill ended on 14 May, with 30 entities, including 12 ministries, taking the opportunity to comment, and hundreds of comments were received from them. The Coalition Council is due to discuss the bill on 25 May, after which debates with the directors-general of Czech Television and Czech Radio are scheduled. Once the amendments have been incorporated, the bill is to be discussed by the government and subsequently forwarded to the Chamber of Deputies, where the opposition is preparing extensive filibustering.

Despite the tight schedule, Culture Minister Oto Klempíř still believes that the bill will be passed and will come into force on 1 January 2027. However, this deadline is considered unrealistic not only by representatives of the opposition but also by the Ministry of the Interior, which proposes postponing its entry into force until 1 July 2027. The discussion at the DIGIMEDIA 2026 conference will be the first expert platform on which both the bill’s sponsor and its opponents will comment on the law.

The partners of the 21st edition of the DIGIMEDIA 2026 conference are Czech Television, Czech Radio, the Czech Telecommunications Office, Czech Radiocommunications, the Association of Mobile Network Operators, the Association of Communication Agencies and others. Media partners include Averia, Marketing & Media magazine, and the websites MediaGuru.cz and Televizniweb.cz.

A detailed conference programme, list of speakers and registration are available at www.acra-mk.cz.

About the DIGIMEDIA conference

DIGIMEDIA is the largest professional gathering focused on audiovisual media and broadcasting in the Czech Republic. It brings together representatives from television and radio broadcasting, digital platforms, network operators and regulatory bodies. The conference has long been dedicated to topics such as media, content distribution, advertising, paid services and media legislation. The event is organised by the Association of Czech Advertising Agencies and Marketing Communication (AČRA MK). The event has been held since 2006.

Media contacts

Mgr. Pavel Brabec
President of AČRA MK
pavel.brabec@commonline.cz
420 602 330 370

Jan Potůček
Programme Director of the DIGIMEDIA conference
potucek@mediar.cz
420 606 222 928

Veronika Maxová
Head of Production
acra@acra-mk.cz

COMMENTS OF COMMERCIAL MEDIA ON THE DRAFT ACT ON PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA

Associations representing the entire media market, except for public service media, point out that fundamental changes to the operation of public service media cannot be viewed in isolation from their impact on the rest of the media market. They have therefore jointly prepared comments on the submitted draft Act on Public Service Media, drawing attention to major shortcomings in the proposed amendment. Key points include an unclear definition of public service, the absence of regulation of online advertising, and the loss of safeguards contained in memoranda.

Prague, 15 May 2026 – Associations representing commercial television and radio broadcasters, online and print publishers had already strongly emphasised, during previous discussions on changes to the financing of public service media, the interdependence of the public and private media markets. In view of this dual system, we consider it necessary that any changes be consulted with private media service providers as well. Associations representing the entire private media market have therefore prepared several fundamental comments on the submitted draft Act on Public Service Media.

First, the draft act does not define public service with sufficient precision. Nor does it provide any other instrument through which the state could further define public service and the conditions for its provision beyond the statutory framework, for example, for a specific period. The current legislation at least contains the institution of a memorandum on the manner of fulfilling public service. In addition to specifying the scope of public service, the memoranda guaranteed a number of negotiated safeguards and guidelines for the activities of public service media, such as clarification of their operation in the online environment or transparent access to archival productions for other media service providers. All of these specifications are missing from the submitted draft and must be incorporated into the amendment appropriately.

The draft also completely omits the already existing restrictions on public service media in online advertising. This fundamental shortcoming is contrary to the principle of technological neutrality, since the existing restrictions in terrestrial and radio broadcasting remain in place; it goes against the purpose of providing a public service, as it forces ČT (Czech Television) and ČRo (Czech Radio) to compete in the advertising market; and, finally, it raises the issue of distortion of competition, where commercial media compete directly with entities that have state-guaranteed revenues.

The proposer has also removed the existing statutory procedures for approving the introduction of new significant services. The current act assumes that, before launching new projects that could have a potentially significant negative impact on the dual media system, public service media must consult their intentions with the public and supervisory bodies, so that the projects’ impacts and relevance to the fulfilment of the public service function can be assessed.

Following the discussion on the transparency of financial spending, we also propose introducing a benchmark cost control mechanism for public service media through an expert commission. Such a commission could assess, in a qualified and independent manner, whether the costs incurred are efficient, particularly compared to similar costs incurred by comparable media service providers. This instrument is an established practice in many other European countries and is in line with the Communication from the Commission 2009/C 257/01.

The draft rather illogically offers public service media the possibility of publishing their own printed periodicals, which does not correspond in any way to the media type of either Czech Television or Czech Radio. We also propose that the application of the directive on audiovisual media services on demand be clarified, and that obligations to ensure the accessibility of content for persons with visual or hearing impairments be reinstated, as these are omitted in the draft compared to the current act for reasons that remain unclear.

Contacts

Association of Commercial Television (Asociace komerčních televizí, AKTV), contact: Marie Fianová, marie.fianova@aktv.cz

Association of Online Publishers (Asociace online vydavatelů, AOV), contact: Ondřej Neumann, ondrej.neumann@hlidacipes.org

Association of Private Broadcasters (Asociace provozovatelů soukromého vysílání, APSV), contact: Jan Neuman, neuman@mms.cz

Czech Publishers’ Association (Česká unie vydavatelů, ČUV), contact: Kateřina Kroupová, kroupova@cuv.cz

Association for Internet Development in the Czech Republic (Sdružení pro internetový rozvoj v ČR, SPIR), contact: Filip Dotlačil, filip.dotlacil@spir.cz

–

Appendix

Comments of the media market submitted within the consultation process available here.