# Broadcasting Act 1996, Section 101: Restriction on televising of listed event Restriction on showing live coverage.

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

(1) A television programme provider providing a service falling within either of the categories set out in subsection (1) of section 98 (“the first service”) for reception in the United Kingdom or in any area of the United Kingdom shall not, without the previous consent of OFCOM, include in that service live coverage of the whole or any part of a listed event unless—
(a) another person, who is providing a service falling within the other category set out in that subsection (“the second service”), has acquired the right to include in the second service live coverage of the whole of the event or of that part of the event, and
(b) the area for which the second service is provided consists of or includes the whole, or substantially the whole, of the area for which the first service is provided.
(2) OFCOM may revoke any consent given by them under subsection (1).
(3) Failure to comply with subsection (1) shall not affect the validity of any contract.
(4) Subsection (1) shall not have effect where the television programme provider providing the first service is exercising rights acquired before the commencement of this section.
(1) A provider of a relevant service who—
(a) is providing a relevant service (“the first service”) falling within either category, and
(b) is providing it with a view to its being available to members of the public in the United Kingdom or in any area of the United Kingdom,
must not include live coverage of a listed event in that service unless it is authorised by subsection (2), (3), (4), (5) or (6).
(2) Live coverage of a listed event is authorised by this subsection if—
(a) identical rights to include live coverage of the event in a relevant service other than the first service (“the second service”) have been acquired, and
(b) the second service—
(i) is provided by a person other than the provider of the first service,
(ii) falls into a different category from the first service,
(iii) is not a relevant service other than the first service only because section 98(2C) applies to it, and
(iv) is provided for an area that consists of or includes all or almost all of the area for which the first service is provided.
(3) Live coverage of a listed event is authorised by this subsection if—
(a) rights to include live coverage of the event in two or more relevant services other than the first service (“the second and further services”) have been acquired,
(b) those rights, taken together, constitute identical rights to include live coverage of the event in the second and further services,
(c) each of the second and further services—
(i) is provided by a person other than the provider of the first service,
(ii) falls into a different category from the first service,
(iii) is not a relevant service other than the first service only because section 98(2C) applies to it, and
(iv) is provided for an area that consists of or includes all or almost all of the area for which the first service is provided.
(4) Live coverage of a listed event is authorised by this subsection if—
(a) the event is a sporting event that involves different sports,
(b) rights to include live coverage of the event in two or more relevant services other than the first service (“the second and further services”) have been acquired,
(c) that additional coverage, taken as a whole, is adequate live coverage of the event,
(d) at least two of the second and further services are television programme services, and
(e) each of the second and further services—
(i) is provided by a person other than the provider of the first service,
(ii) falls into a different category from the first service,
(iii) is not a relevant service other than the first service only because section 98(2C) applies to it, and
(iv) is provided for an area that consists of or includes all or almost all of the area for which the first service is provided.
(5) Live coverage of a listed event is authorised by this subsection if OFCOM have consented in advance to inclusion of that coverage in the first service.
(6) Live coverage of a listed event is authorised by this subsection if—
(a) the listed event is a Group B event,
(b) rights to provide coverage of the event have been acquired by one or more persons in addition to the provider of the first service,
(c) that additional coverage constitutes adequate alternative coverage of the event, and
(d) the person or persons who have acquired rights to provide the additional coverage satisfy the requirements in relation to that coverage of any regulations made under section 104ZA for the purposes of this paragraph.
(7) Subsections (1) to (6) apply in relation to the coverage of a part of a listed event as they apply in relation to the coverage of the whole of that event.
(8) OFCOM may revoke any consent given by them for the purposes of subsection (5).
(9) Failure to comply with subsection (1) does not affect the validity of any contract.
(10) Subsection (1) does not have effect where the person providing the first service is exercising rights acquired before the commencement of section 22 of the Media Act 2024.
(11) References in this section to a category of service are to a category of service set out in section 98(1).

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/55/section/101 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/broadcasting-act-1996/section-101
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.