{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/broadcasting-act-1996/section-1",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/broadcasting-act-1996/section-1.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1996/55",
  "legislation_title": "Broadcasting Act 1996",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/broadcasting-act-1996",
  "path": "section/1",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "1",
  "heading": "Multiplex services and digital programme services.",
  "text": "(1) In this Part “multiplex service” means (except where the context otherwise requires) a television multiplex service.\n(1A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(4) In this Part “digital programme service” means a service (or a dissociable section of a service) consisting in the provision by any person of television programmes (together with any ancillary services, as defined by section 24(2)) with a view to their being broadcast in digital form so as to be available for reception by members of the public, whether by him or by some other person, but does not include—\n(za) a service (or a dissociable section of a service) provided under the authority of a licence under Part 1 of the 1990 Act to provide a television licensable content service,\n(a) a qualifying service,\n(b) a teletext service, or\n(c) any service in the case of which the visual images to be broadcast do not consist wholly or mainly of images capable of being seen as moving pictures,\nexcept, in the case of a service falling within paragraph (b) or (c), to the extent that it is an ancillary service.\n(4A) In subsection (4), “available for reception by members of the public” means available for reception by members of the public (within the meaning of Part 3 of the Communications Act 2003) in the United Kingdom or another CTT State, or in an area of the United Kingdom or of such a State.\n(5) The Secretary of State may, if having regard to developments in broadcasting technology he considers it appropriate to do so, by order amend the definition of “digital programme service” in subsection (4).\n(6) No order under subsection (5) shall be made unless a draft of the order has been laid before and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.\n(7) In this section “broadcast” means broadcast otherwise than from a satellite.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 1(1) substituted (29.12.2003) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), s. 411(2), Sch. 15 para. 74(2) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 1(1A)-(3) repealed (29.12.2003) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), s. 411(2), Sch. 19(1) Note 1 (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 1(4) inserted (1.11.2020) by The Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1062), regs. 1(2), 3(a)(i)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 1(4) substituted (29.12.2003) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), s. 411(2), Sch. 15 para. 74(3) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "S. 1(4)(za) inserted (25.7.2006) by The Television Licensable Content Services Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/2131), arts. 1(1), 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 1(4)(za) inserted (1.11.2020) by The Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1062), regs. 1(2), 3(a)(ii)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "S. 1(4A) substituted (29.12.2003) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), s. 411(2), Sch. 15 para. 74(4) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in s. 1(4A) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Broadcasting (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/224), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 3 (with reg. 6) (as amended by S.I. 2020/1536, reg. 5(2)(3)); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "S. 1(7) substituted (29.12.2003) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), s. 411(2), Sch. 15 para. 74(5) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Pt. 1: transfer of functions (29.12.2003) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), s. 411(2), Sch. 1 para. 3(a) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "Pt. 1 modified (29.12.2003) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), ss. 215(10)(c), 411(2) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "Pt. 1 modified (29.12.2003) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), ss. 241(1), 411(2) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/55/section/1",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T17:13:48.242068+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
    "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
  }
}