TV without frontiers for freedom and diversity of opinions

Parliament has concluded its first reading of the revised directive on Television without frontiers during its December plenary session. Rapporteur Ruth Hieronymi (D) has expressed her satisfaction with the outcome of the plenary vote.

She pointed out that «despite all attempts to turn the television of the future into a purely commercial product, we successfully secured political priorities, because freedom of information and diversity of opinion cannot be protected by purely economic means».

Regardless of the technical platform, television shall not be regulated by the market alone. The protection of minors, consumer protection, better access for disabled persons to audiovisual media services, and the promotion of European content would be also ensured by the new directive. At the same time it creates conditions to successfully market television media in Europe. The directive’s general aim to create a European market for the development of new media services, while safeguarding the cultural traditions of EU Member States, can be achieved.

»Information needs a Europe without borders and this could be largely secured by the legislative text», Ruth Hieronymi stressed. With regard to product placement, it was nevertheless inevitable to forge a compromise complying with the European tradition of separating editorial content from advertising by clearly demarcating the two. As the proposals by the European Commission and the Member States are not yet deemed to be sufficient, the European Parliament has demanded to clearly highlight product placement in each transmission, which will still have to be discussed in the ongoing legislative process.

Source : http://www.epp-ed.eu/Press/psess06/report0612_en.asp