Licences for Europe: Broadcasters Committed to Continued Growth of Online TV Services

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Brussels, 13 November 2013 – European commercial broadcasters have marked the final plenary of the Licences for Europe¹ process by emphasising the level of innovation in the media business.

Speaking in Brussels at the final plenary, Ross Biggam, director-general of the Association of Commercial Television in Europe2 said:
“The EC has challenged the media business to embrace the opportunities of digital. Commercial broadcasters have delivered. The ACT gave a presentation to a ‘Licences for Europe’ meeting on 17 April, in which we stressed that our member companies were constantly researching new innovative models of distributing content to our viewers. Today, we illustrate this point by releasing a non-exhaustive list of new services launched by ACT member companies since 17 April as further evidence that the current European copyright framework contains the necessary flexibility for new innovative digital services to be developed.“

Across numerous platforms and in a range of Member States, ACT member companies have launched services based around OTT delivery of programme content, catch-up TV, subscription video on-demand, apps, streaming, interactive, HD, even an in-flight catch-up service.

The ACT’s member companies are committed to the constant exploration of the business case for new and innovative means, across all platforms, of legally distributing content where consumer demand exists, including but not restricted to cross-border demand.

Ross Biggam continued:
“The Licences for Europe process has been long and detailed. We have had several in-depth exchanges with the EC in this process and regret that not all stakeholders chose to engage. We have found the process valuable as a means of explaining the dynamics of the market within which we operate, and demonstrate that a stable copyright regime is key to the high level of service and platform innovation which characterises our sector“.

¹ https://ec.europa.eu/licences-for-europe-dialogue/en