UK plans to bring more online TV channels under regulator’s content rules

The British government said on Wednesday it planned to bring more internet-based television channels under the same content rules set by regulator Ofcom as traditional channels.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said it was the government’s job to look at internet-based channels that fell outside the existing regulations.

“That’s why we are going to consult on whether we need to extend regulation to these unregulated channels,” she said at the Royal Television Society’s Cambridge Convention.

“Any change to regulations must strike a balance between protecting people – particularly the young and vulnerable – while protecting freedom of speech, and not unduly burdening the TV industry.”

More than seven in 10 British households have a smart TV, through which they can access up to 900 unregulated and mostly internet-based TV channels via services such as Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels and Amazon Freevee, the government said.

Britain in March said it planned to update media rules for the streaming age, including putting services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ under Ofcom’s remit.

Frazer also said on Wednesday she had launched a review into the future of television distribution to ensure that those who watched terrestrial television would not be left behind. Reuters