Arcadia Discussion Zone

In 48 hours, nearly half the British mass media could be bought by one of the world's worst media moguls.
Rupert Murdoch has exploited his vast media empire to push war in Iraq, elect George W Bush, spread resentment of muslims and immigrants, and block global action on climate change. He undermines democratic government across the world by threatening elected leaders with vicious and often false media coverage unless they do his bidding.
Britain plays a key role in Europe and the world. If Murdoch has a lock on British media, he will use it to undermine UK, EU and UN support for human rights and democracy. The UK is up in arms over the Murdoch bid, and even the government, elected with Murdoch's help, is split down the middle as it makes a decision this week.

YES - and if anyone needs proof, look at what he's done here in the States.

TCP

He's just a little Aussie battler!

He's just a little Aussie battler!

Who cares where he came from when he is manipulating millions of people - and a few politicians as well. His influence on G.W. Bush did cost the lives of hundreds of thousands.

What would they know about munching a meat pie and slurping down a beer from a plastic cup while watching the Aussies thump the Poms during a Boxing Day cricket test (well that's what used to happen ).

Well, I would never munching a meat pie, slurp down a beer from a plastic cup or watch cricket. These three things don't belong to my life style.

and - rain, you didn't understand what I wanted to express. If a guy does bad things and is manipulating politicians - it is his work that counts and not his provenance. Patriotism is not needed there.

I realise in your neck of the woods "Patriotrism" can so often be mistaken for "nationlism" a problem some countries resort to by starting world wars and through measures over approx. the last 50years you've avoided it by law. We don't have that problem so I would appreciate it if you don't tell me what is needed her or not. That's "censorship" and I don't appreciate it especially when it comes from one who contributes on based on where he comes from on numerous occassions.

Yes, Scottish, Jewish and probably other assorted mongrel blood.

Your disdain is understandable but of no consequence to some.

Murdoch has done to the Yanks and the Poms what a variety of marauding Yanks and Poms have done to the rest of the world.

As Lance-Corporal Jack Jones of Dad's Army fame was given to saying - "They don't like it when you stick it up 'em, sir!"

Yes, Scottish, Jewish and probably other assorted mongrel blood.

Your disdain is understandable but of no consequence to some.

Murdoch has done to the Yanks and the Poms what a variety of marauding Yanks and Poms have done to the rest of the world.

As Lance-Corporal Jack Jones of Dad's Army fame was given to saying - "They don't like it when you stick it up 'em, sir!"

Yes, Scottish, Jewish and probably other assorted mongrel blood.

We're all mongrels, with the exception of the bushmen of the Kalahari.

We're all mongrels

Rules? What rules?

In the circles that Murdoch moves in, there is only one rule: do it to them before they do it to you.

FILE s652.enr
--S.652--
S.652
One Hundred Fourth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
the third day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-six
An Act
To promote competition and reduce regulation in order to secure
lower prices and higher quality services for American
telecommunications consumers and encourage the rapid deployment of
new telecommunications technologies.
[Italic->] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States of America in Congress
assembled, [<-Italic]

Globally, large media conglomerates include, National Amusements, Viacom, CBS Corporation, Time Warner, News Corp, Bertelsmann AG, Sony, General Electric, Vivendi SA, The Walt Disney Company, Hearst Corporation, Organizações Globo and Lagardère Group.[4][5][6]

As of 2010, The Walt Disney Company is the world's largest media conglomerate, with News Corporation, Time Warner and Viacom ranking second, third and fourth respectively.[10]

European Union[edit] European InstitutionsWhile the European Union enforces a common regulations for environmental protection, consumer protection and human rights, it has none for media pluralism.[14]

After concerns raised in the European Parliament and by NGOs about concentration of media ownership in Europe, and its repercussion on pluralism and freedom of expression, in 2007 the European Commission released a three phase plan.[14][15][16] The plan is supposed to produce an official communication to state members by the end of 2010.[14]

In October 2009, a European Union Directive was proposed to set for all member states common and higher standards for media pluralism, right to information and freedom of expression. The proposal was put to a vote in the European Parliament and rejected by just three votes. The directive was supported by the liberal-centrists, the progressives and the green party, and was opposed by the European People's Party.[14] Unexpectedly, the Irish liberals made exception by voting against the directive, and later revealed that they had been pressured by the Irish right-wing government to do so.[14]

[edit] Czech RepublicIn the Czech Republic about 80% of the newspapers and magazines are owned by German and Swiss corporations.[17]
The two main press groups (Vltava-Labe-Press and Mafra) are (completely or partly) controlled by the German group Rheinisch-Bergische Druckerei- und Verlagsgesellschaft (Mediengruppe Rheinische Post).

Vltava-Labe-Press (that owns the tabloids ŠÍP and ŠÍP EXTRA, 73 regional dailies Deník and other 26 weeklies[18][19] and that is major shareholder of publishing houses Astrosat, Melinor[20][21] and 100% owner of Metropol[22] and also partly controls the distribution of all the prints through PNS, a.s.[23]) is part of the German Verlagsgruppe Passau[24] (that controls also the German Neue Presse Verlags, the Polish Polskapresse and the Slovak Petit Press[25]).
Mafra (that owns the centre-right dailies Dnes, Lidové noviny[26], the local edition of the freesheet Metro, the periodical 14dní, the weekly music magazine Filter, several monthly magazines, the TV music channel Óčko, the radio stations Expresradio and Rádio Classic FM, several web portals[27][28] and partly controls, together with Vltava-Labe-Press, the distribution company PNS, a.s.[23]) is owned by the German Rheinisch-Bergische Drückerei- und Verlagsgesellschaft. This, in turn, owns 20% of the Verlagsgruppe Passau's shares, creating in this way a sort of cartel within the two corporations Vltava-Labe-Press and Mafra, controlling more than 50% of Czech print distribution through PNS, a.s. (26% by Mafra, 26,1% by Vltava-Labe-Press).
Ringier the Swiss group, controls in Czech Republic 16 daily tabloids and weeklies (such as 24 hodin, Abc, Aha!, Blesk, Blesk TV Magazin, Blesk pro ženy, Blesk Hobby, Blesk Zdravi, Nedělní Blesk, Nedělní Sport, Reflex, Sport, Sport Magazin) as well as 7 web portals, reaching approximately 3.2 million readers.
Czech governments, anxious not to be seen as placing any obstacles in the way of the country's path to EU membership, have defended foreign newspaper ownership as a manifestation of the principle of the free movement of capital.[29]
The centre-left newspaper Právo is currently the only non-foreign owned Czech newspaper.[29]
The weekly Respekt is published by R-Presse, the majority of whose shares are owned by former Czech Minister of foreign affairs Karel Schwarzenberg.[29]
The national television market is dominated by 4 terrestrial stations, two public (Czech TV1 and Czech TV2) and two private (NOVA TV and Prima TV), which draw 95% of audience share.[30]
Concerning the diversity of output, this is limited by a series of factors: the average low level of professional education among Czech journalists is compensated by "informal professionalization", leading to a degree of conformity in approaches;[31] political parties hold strong ties in Czech media, especially print, where more than 50% of Czech journalists identify with the Right, while only 16% express sympathy for the Left;[31] the process of commercialization and "tabloidization" has increased, lowering differentiation of contents in Czech print media.[31]

[edit] GermanyAxel Springer AG is one of the largest newspaper publishing companies in Europe, claiming to have over 150 newspapers and magazines in over 30 countries in Europe. In the 1960s and 1970s the company's media followed an aggressive conservative policy (see Springerpresse). It publishes Germany's only nationwide tabloid, Bild and one of Germany's most important broadsheets, Die Welt. Axel Springer also owns a number of regional newspapers, especially in Saxony and in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, giving the company a de-facto monopoly in the latter case. An attempt to buy one of Germany's two major private TV Groups, ProSiebenSat.1 in 2006 was withdrawn due to large concerns by regulation authorities as well as by parts of the public. The company is also active in Hungary, where it is the biggest publisher of regional newspapers, and in Poland, where it owns the best-selling tabloid Fakt, one of the nation's most important broadsheets, Dziennik, and is one of the biggest shareholder in #2 private TV company, Polsat.

Bertelsmann is one of the world's largest media companies. It owns RTL Group, which is one of the two major private TV companies in both Germany and the Netherlands and also owning assets in Belgium, France, UK, Spain, Czech and Hungary. Bertelsmann also owns Gruner+Jahr, Germany's biggest popular magazine publisher, including popular news magazine Stern and a 26% share in investigative news magazine Der Spiegel. Bertelsmann also owns Random House, a book publisher, #1 in the English-speaking world and #2 in Germany.

[edit] IrelandIn Ireland Independent News & Media (CEO: Tony O'Reilly) owns many national newspapers: the Evening Herald, Irish Independent, Sunday Independent, Sunday World and Irish Daily Star. It also owns 29.9% of the Sunday Tribune.

[edit] ItalySilvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister of Italy, is the major shareholder of - by far - Italy's biggest (and de facto only) private free TV company, Mediaset, Italy's biggest publisher, Mondadori, and Italy's biggest advertising company Publitalia. One of Italy's nationwide dailies, Il Giornale, is owned by his brother, and another, Il Foglio by his wife. Berlusconi has often been criticized for using the media assets he owns to advance his political career.

[edit] United KingdomIn Britain and Ireland, Rupert Murdoch owns best-selling tabloids News of the World, The Sun as well as the broadsheet The Times and Sunday Times, and 39% of satellite broadcasting network BSkyB. BSkyB in turn owns a significant part of ITV plc and 5% of Shine Limited. [32] In March 2011, the United Kingdom approved Murdoch to buy the remaining 61% of BSkyB.[33] Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) own The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday, Ireland on Sunday, and free London daily Metro, and control a large proportion of regional media, including through subsidiary Northcliffe Media, in addition to large shares in ITN and GCap Media.

Richard Desmond owns OK! magazine, Channel 5, the Daily Express and the Daily Star.

The Evening Standard and The Independent are both owned by Russian businessman and ex KGB agent Alexander Lebedev.

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT
Media pluralism in the Member States of the European Union
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction.................................................................................................................. 4
2. Media pluralism – a broad issue................................................................................... 5
2.1. Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Information.................................................. 6
2.2. Interrelation between politics / economic interests and media .................................... 6
2.3. Media concentration.....................................................................................................7
2.4. Cross-border concentration - global competitiveness .................................................. 9
2.5. Media content............................................................................................................. 10
2.6. Internal and external pluralism................................................................................... 11
2.7. Pluralism in the broadcasting sector: dual landscape and independent regulators .... 12
2.8. Technological developments......................................................................................13
Digital television ...................................................................................................................... 13
Internet and WWW .................................................................................................................. 15
3. 3. The Way Forward .................................................................................................. 17
ANNEX - Country profiles ...................................................................................................... 20
4. Austria........................................................................................................................ 20
5. Belgium...................................................................................................................... 23
6. Bulgaria.......................................................................................................................26
7. Cyprus........................................................................................................................ 29
8. Czech Republic ..........................................................................................................31
9. Denmark..................................................................................................................... 33
10. Estonia........................................................................................................................ 36
11. Finland........................................................................................................................ 38
12. France......................................................................................................................... 41
13. Germany..................................................................................................................... 43
14. Greece ........................................................................................................................ 46
EN 3 EN
15. Hungary...................................................................................................................... 49
16. Ireland ........................................................................................................................ 52
17. Italy ............................................................................................................................ 55
18. Latvia......................................................................................................................... 58
19. Lithuania .................................................................................................................... 61
20. Luxembourg ............................................................................................................... 64
21. Malta .......................................................................................................................... 67
22. The Netherlands .........................................................................................................69
23. Poland......................................................................................................................... 72
24. Portugal ...................................................................................................................... 75
25. Romania......................................................................................................................78
26. Slovakia...................................................................................................................... 80
27. Slovenia...................................................................................................................... 84
28. Spain.......................................................................................................................... 87
29. Sweden....................................................................................................................... 90
30. United Kingdom......................................................................................................... 93
EN 4 EN
1. INTRODUCTION
The European Union is committed to protecting media pluralism as an essential pillar of the
right to information and freedom of expression enshrined in Article 11 of the Charter of
Fundamental Rights. Since the early nineties the discussion on media pluralism has played an
important role within the European Union.
Similar provisions are included in Article 10 of the Convention for the Protection of Human
Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The Council of Europe has been very active in the field of
media concentration/media pluralism. It is the main organisation at pan-European level
dealing with the human and democratic dimension of communication. A series of
recommendations, guidance documents and codes of conduct have been developed1. The
Council of Europe plays a central role in strengthening the common values and principles, in
particular by setting common pan-European minimum standards in this area.
The European Parliament has continued to show concern, both in the previous legislature and
in the current one and asked for European actions, inviting the Commission to propose
concrete measures2.
The European Commission published different documents in order to launch a debate on the
need for Community action in this field3. The various consultations led to the conclusion that
at present it would not be appropriate to submit a Community initiative on pluralism. At the
same time, the Commission underlined that it would continue to closely monitor the situation.

UNITED KINGDOM
Legal Base
Communications Act 2003
Regulation of Media Ownership
Ownership Restrictions
Television
Secretary of State can intervene in media mergers that
raise public interest considerations. Secretary of State can
ask OFCOM and, if necessary, the Competition
Commission to investigate any merger that could have a
damaging effect on plurality, diversity or standards. It
prevents unacceptable levels of cross media dominance and
ensures a minimum level of plurality.
Ownership restrictionsPrint
[color=#408000]Under the Communications Act 2003 any cross media
ownership activity will trigger a public interest test that
aims to ensure: plurality of ownership, economic benefits,
no detrimental effect to the market.[/color]Cross ownership
restrictions
In every local area of the UK there must be at last three
separate commercial media companies providing
newspapers, radio, and terrestrial television. Nobody
controlling more than 20% of national newspaper
circulation may own more than 20% of an ITV licence.
Nobody owning a regional ITV licence may control more
than 20% of the newspaper market in that region. Nobody
owning a regional ITV licence may own a local radio
station with more than 45% coverage of the same area.
Nobody owning a local newspaper may own a local radio
station where the newspaper accounts for more than 50%
of the circulation within the station’s coverage area.
Foreign ownership
restrictions Print and TV
No restrictions
Restrictions for political
parties and organisations
Political organizations are not allowed to hold broadcasting
licences of any kind
Market Situation – Audiovisual
Public Service Broadcaster: British Broadcasting Corporation BBC; channels: two national
free-to-air channels, BBC1 and BBC 2 (with several regional versions) and a range of free
digital channels (available on digital terrestrial and other platforms) including BBC3, a youth
channel, BBC 4, BBC News 24, BBC. The principle source of income for the BBC is the
licence fee because it has no advertising revenue but it does earn additional income through
the distribution of television programmes, publishing, and videos via BBC Worldwide

Regulatory Framework - AVMSD

Audiovisual Media Services
Directive (AVMSD)
These days we can watch our favourite programmes from all over Europe not just on TV, but also via the internet or on our mobile phones. Like other goods and services, the audiovisual media are subject to the rules of the single European market.

To function optimally, this "single European TV market" needs a minimum set of common rules covering aspects like advertising and protection of minors.

These rules are laid down in the EU's Audiovisual Media Services Directive, which governs EU-wide coordination of national legislation on all audiovisual media, both traditional TV broadcasts and on-demand services.

Goals of EU coordination•providing rules to shape technological developments
•creating a level playing field for emerging audiovisual media
•preserving cultural diversity
•protecting children and consumers
•safeguarding media pluralism •combating racial and religious hatred
•guaranteeing the independence of national media regulators.
Areas of EU coordination
The AVMSD governs EU-wide coordination of national legislation in the following areas:

General principles

Incitement to hatred

Accessibility for people with disabilities

Principles of Jurisdiction

Major Events

Promotion and distribution of European works

Commercial communications

Protection of minors




EUROPA - Audiovisual and Media Policies


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Navigation path: European Commission > Audiovisual and Media Policies Language navigation: de en fr
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Alternate presentations: Regulatory Framework - Audiovisual Media Services Directive - what's new ?
Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD)
What's new ?
The Audiovisual Media Services Directive amends and renames the Television without Frontiers Directive, providing less detailed but more flexible regulation. And it modernises TV advertising rules to better finance audiovisual content.



What's new?
Wider coverage (Article 1 (1)(a))

The new Directive covers all audiovisual media services - that means traditional television (linear service) and video-on-demand (non-linear services). These services must be directed at the general public and intended to inform, entertain and educate under the editorial responsibility of a media service provider.



Different levels of strictness (“graduated regulation”)

Because users have different degrees of choice and control over on-demand audiovisual media services, only a basic tier of rules applies to them. But the rules on advertising and protecting children are stricter for television broadcasts.



Jurisdiction for satellite broadcasts (Article 2)

When a broadcaster based outside the EU uses a satellite up-link in an EU country, that country will have jurisdiction. Only when there is no up-link in the EU, does the EU country whose satellite capacity is used gain jurisdiction. This reverses the criteria defining jurisdiction under the old rules.



Which country’s rules apply?

As under the old rules, service providers are subject only to the rules applicable in their own country (country of origin principle). This is essential to give them legal certainty and help them develop new cross border business models.



Countries can restrict broadcast of unsuitable content (Article 2 (4)-(6))

Under the new rules, EU countries can restrict the retransmission of unsuitable on-demand audiovisual content - e.g. neo-Nazi propaganda – that may not be banned in its country of origin.



Two-step safeguard for receiving countries (Article 4 (2) – (5))

•if a country objects to the content in a foreign television broadcast which is wholly or mostly directed to it, it can use a consultation procedure (cooperation procedure) to address the country of origin. The latter shall then issue a non-binding request for the broadcaster to comply with the stricter rules of the targeted country.

•if the broadcaster circumvents these national rules, the objecting country can also - with the Commission's prior approval – take binding measures (circumvention procedure).



Transparency obligations for editorial decisions (Article 5)

All audiovisual media service providers must indicate all the relevant data needed to ensure that whoever makes the editorial decisions can be held liable.



Definition of audiovisual commercial communication (Article 1(1)(h))

The new rules have a broad definition of what constitutes advertising, including sponsorship, product placement, teleshopping, etc.

This is to ensure that all forms of commercial audiovisual content are covered by the same common set of rules, whatever mode of delivery is used for the programmes to which they are associated.



Short news reporting (Article 15)

In order to promote the free flow of information, any broadcaster established in the EU has guaranteed access to exclusively transmitted events of high public interest for the purpose of transmitting short news reports.



Promoting European works (Article 13)

Member States must ensure that not only television broadcasters but also on-demand audiovisual media services promote European works.



Product placement (Article 11)

The new rules define the conditions under which product placement is permitted (e.g. which programmes; identification requirement; no undue prominence, etc). Member countries are free to adopt stricter rules for media companies under their jurisdiction, provided that those rules comply with EU law.



Television advertising

•quality standards – existing rules on protecting consumers, children and human dignity are maintained, and new challenges are addressed, e.g. potentially unhealthy foodstuffs (e.g. through calls for industry self-regulation / codes of conduct).

•limits on quantity - these are now more flexible, but the hourly limit of 12 minutes for spot advertising and teleshopping spots remains (Article 23 (1)).



Advertising "unhealthy" food and drinks in children's programmes (Article 9 (2))

Governments and the Commission must encourage media service providers to develop codes of conduct curtailing such advertising.



Protecting children from adult content (Article 12)

Content which might seriously impair children’s development may be made available only in ways that ensure children will not normally have access – e.g. with access codes or other means.



Access for the sight- and/or hearing impaired (Article 7)

The new rules aim to make audiovisual content increasingly accessible for these groups. Governments must encourage media companies under their jurisdiction to do this, e.g. by subtitling and audio description.



Self-regulation, combined with government regulation (Article 4 (7))

The new rules require governments to encourage self-regulation in certain fields, sometimes combined with government intervention (“co-regulation”) - where their legal systems allow. Such regimes must be broadly accepted by the main stakeholders and provide for effective enforcement.



Independent regulators (Article 30)

The new rules recognise both the existence and the role of national independent regulators. To ensure the correct application of the Directive, these regulators must cooperate closely both among themselves and with the Commission, notably on issues of jurisdiction.

In 48 hours, nearly half the British mass media could be bought by one of the world's worst media moguls.

Rupert Murdoch has exploited his vast media empire to push war in Iraq, elect George W Bush, spread resentment of muslims and immigrants, and block global action on climate change. He undermines democratic government across the world by threatening elected leaders with vicious and often false media coverage unless they do his bidding.

Britain plays a key role in Europe and the world. If Murdoch has a lock on British media, he will use it to undermine UK, EU and UN support for human rights and democracy. The UK is up in arms over the Murdoch bid, and even the government, elected with Murdoch's help, is split down the middle as it makes a decision this week. Global solidarity bolstered Egypt's pro-democracy protesters -- it can help Britain's. Let's build an urgent global outcry to stop Rupert Murdoch. Sign the petition to Prime Minister Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Clegg!

Sign the petition

To UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg:


"At this time of global solidarity with democratic aspirations, we stand with the British people in their deep concern over Rupert Murdoch's threat to UK democracy. The Murdoch media empire has a global record of undermining democratic government and promoting division, intolerance and war. As citizens around the world who support international cooperation and peace, we appeal to you to deny Mr. Murdoch's bid to own nearly half the British media.

There's probably one masthead that Murdoch does not own - The Kalahari Times.

I can't imagine he mastered a means of putting the bushmen's language into print seeing they speak with a clicking sound.