Commentary on Sections Part 3: Television and Radio Services Chapter 2: Regulatory Structure for Independent Television Services Section 240: Abolition of separate licences for certain television services
538.This section abolishes the two forms of licence which the television licensable content services licence replaces, that is satellite television service and licensable programme service licences. It puts in place transitional provisions so that after the television transfer date, any person holding one of the abolished licence types is to be regulated by OFCOM as if he held a television licensable content services licence, unless the service is of a kind that falls outside the new definition and so no longer requires a licence at all. To the extent that any existing licence takes effect as a licence to provide a television licensable content service, OFCOM must use their power under section 3 of the Broadcasting Act 1990 to modify that licence if they feel that it is necessary to do so in order to comply with their duty under section 263 (see below).