Commentary on Sections Part 3: Television and Radio Services Chapter 6: Other provisions about television and radio services Section 360: Amendments of 1990 and 1996 Acts
757.This section amends the definition of programme services in the 1990 Act so as to correspond to the language of the Act. The 1990 Act definition will continue to include a broader range of services than is licensable under the Communications Act, including on-demand and Internet services. Separate definitions are needed for this Act and the 1990 Act because various outlying statutory provisions will continue to rely on the broader 1990 Act definition to control activities that go beyond what is licensable. For example, provisions in the Children Act 1989 seek to protect the privacy of children involved in certain legal proceedings, and the effectiveness of that restriction would be lessened if it did not extend beyond broadcast material. This section also introduces Schedule 15, which makes amendments to the 1990 and 1996 Acts. Most of these amendments are consequential on the Act. They are described in more detail in the notes for Schedule 15.