622.This section imposes a duty on OFCOM to carry out general reviews of the networking arrangements approved under section 291 or imposed under section 292. The first review must be carried out no more than six months after the last closure date for an offer of a replacement regional Channel 3 licence, made under section 215. Reviews must be undertaken yearly thereafter. OFCOM may also, at any other time, carry out a review of whether the networking arrangements continue to satisfy one of the two competition tests set out in paragraph 6 of Schedule 11 (approval, imposition and modification of networking arrangements).
*The first competition test is that the networking arrangements do not have the object or effect of preventing, restricting or distorting competition within the United Kingdom. The second competition test is that the networking arrangements do have such an object or effect but would satisfy the criteria set out in section 9 of the Competition Act 1998 (agreements contributing to improving the production or distribution of goods or to promoting technical or economic progress).
623.Where, following a review, OFCOM are satisfied that modifications to the networking arrangements are required, they may require regional Channel 3 licensees to give effect to those modifications or, in the case of arrangements imposed under section 292, make those modifications themselves. OFCOM may not require modifications to be made to approved networking arrangements already in force without conducting a review under section 293 unless they have the consent of the Channel 3 licensees affected by the modification.
624.Subsection (7) allows OFCOM to set licence conditions that secure that Channel 3 licensees give effect to any modifications of the networking arrangements proposed by OFCOM.