{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/communications-act-2003/section-281",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/communications-act-2003/section-281.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2003/21",
  "legislation_title": "Communications Act 2003",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/communications-act-2003",
  "path": "section/281",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "281",
  "heading": "Disqualification from appointment as news provider",
  "text": "(1) The regulatory regime for every regional Channel 3 service includes the conditions that OFCOM consider appropriate for securing—\n(a) that a body is not appointed as the appointed news provider if it falls within subsection (2); and\n(b) that the appointment of a body as the appointed news provider ceases to have effect if it becomes a body falling within that subsection.\n(2) A body falls within this subsection if—\n(a) it is a disqualified person under Part 2 of Schedule 2 to the 1990 Act in relation to a Channel 3 licence; or\n(b) there would be a contravention of Part 1 of Schedule 14 to this Act (whether by that body or by another person) if that body held a licence to provide a Channel 3 service, or held a licence to provide such a service for a particular area for which such a service is provided.\n(3) The reference in subsection (2)(a) to a body which is a disqualified person under Part 2 of Schedule 2 to the 1990 Act in relation to a Channel 3 licence includes a reference to a person who is disqualified by virtue of a disqualification order under section 145 of the 1996 Act.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 281(3) added (29.12.2003) by Media Ownership (Local Radio and Appointed News Provider) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/3299), arts. 1(2), 13(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 281 in force at 29.12.2003 by 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/2003/21/section/281",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:18:16.154105+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."
  }
}