{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/communications-act-2003/schedule-12/paragraph-18",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/communications-act-2003/schedule-12/paragraph-18.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2003/21",
  "legislation_title": "Communications Act 2003",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/communications-act-2003",
  "path": "schedule/12/paragraph/18",
  "kind": "paragraph",
  "number": "18",
  "heading": null,
  "text": "(1) It shall be the duty of S4C to include—\n(a) party political broadcasts, and\n(b) referendum campaign broadcasts,\nin every designated public service of theirs.\n(2) S4C must prepare, publish and from time to time review and revise their policy with respect to—\n(a) party political broadcasts and referendum campaign broadcasts; and\n(b) the manner in which they propose to perform their duty under sub-paragraph (1).\n(3) S4C’s policy may, in particular, include provision for determining—\n(a) the political parties on whose behalf party political broadcasts may be made;\n(b) in relation to each political party on whose behalf such broadcasts may be made, the length and frequency of the broadcasts; and\n(c) in relation to each designated organisation on whose behalf referendum campaign broadcasts are required to be broadcast, the length and frequency of such broadcasts.\n(4) That policy is to have effect subject to sections 37 and 127 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (c. 41) (only registered parties and designated organisations to be entitled to party political broadcasts or referendum campaign broadcasts).\n(5) In preparing or revising their policy with respect to the inclusion of party political broadcasts or referendum campaign broadcasts in their designated public services, S4C must have regard to—\n(a) any views expressed for the purposes of this paragraph by the Electoral Commission; and\n(b) any rules made by OFCOM under section 333.\n(6) The services that are designated public services for the purposes of this paragraph are—\n(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(b) S4C Digital; and\n(c) any of S4C’s other public television services which is designated in writing by the Secretary of State for the purposes of this paragraph ....\n(7) In this paragraph—\n“designated organisation”, in relation to a referendum, means a person or body designated by the Electoral Commission under section 108 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 in respect of that referendum; and\n“referendum campaign broadcast” has the meaning given by section 127 of that Act.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Word in Sch. 12 para. 18(1) substituted (23.8.2024) by Media Act 2024 (c. 15), s. 55(3)(c), Sch. 4 para. 65(2); S.I. 2024/858, reg. 2(1)(x)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Word in Sch. 12 para. 18(2) substituted (23.8.2024) by Media Act 2024 (c. 15), s. 55(3)(c), Sch. 4 para. 65(3); S.I. 2024/858, reg. 2(1)(x)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Word in Sch. 12 para. 18(3) substituted (23.8.2024) by Media Act 2024 (c. 15), s. 55(3)(c), Sch. 4 para. 65(4); S.I. 2024/858, reg. 2(1)(x)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Word in Sch. 12 para. 18(5) substituted (23.8.2024) by Media Act 2024 (c. 15), s. 55(3)(c), Sch. 4 para. 65(2); S.I. 2024/858, reg. 2(1)(x)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Sch. 12 para. 18(6)(a) omitted (23.8.2024) by virtue of Media Act 2024 (c. 15), s. 55(3)(c), Sch. 4 para. 65(5)(a); S.I. 2024/858, reg. 2(1)(x)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Word in Sch. 12 para. 18(6)(c) substituted (23.8.2024) by Media Act 2024 (c. 15), s. 55(3)(c), Sch. 4 para. 65(5)(b)(i); S.I. 2024/858, reg. 2(1)(x)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in Sch. 12 para. 18(6)(c) inserted (1.1.2026) by Media Act 2024 (c. 15), s. 55(3)(c), Sch. 4 para. 65(5)(b)(ii); S.I. 2025/1049, reg. 3(v)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in Sch. 12 para. 18(6)(c) omitted (1.1.2026) by virtue of Media Act 2024 (c. 15), s. 55(3)(c), Sch. 4 para. 65(5)(b)(iii); S.I. 2025/1049, reg. 3(v)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Sch. 12 para. 18 excluded (13.2.2013) by The Scotland Act 1998 (Modification of Schedule 5) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/242), arts. 2, 4(3)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Sch. 12 para. 18 in force at 29.12.2003 by S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "word substituted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2024/15",
      "affecting_title": "Media Act 2024"
    },
    {
      "type": "word substituted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2024/15",
      "affecting_title": "Media Act 2024"
    },
    {
      "type": "word substituted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2024/15",
      "affecting_title": "Media Act 2024"
    },
    {
      "type": "word substituted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2024/15",
      "affecting_title": "Media Act 2024"
    },
    {
      "type": "word substituted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2024/15",
      "affecting_title": "Media Act 2024"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/schedule/12/paragraph/18",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:18:16.154105+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "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."
}