Communications Act 2003

Restrictions on participation

2 (1) A person who is—

(a) the proprietor of a national newspaper which for the time being has a national market share of 20 per cent. or more, or

(b) the proprietor of national newspapers which for the time being together have a national market share of 20 per cent. or more,

is not to be a participant with more than a 20 per cent. interest in a body corporate which is the holder of a licence to provide a Channel 3 service.

(2) A person who is the holder of a licence to provide a Channel 3 service is not to be a participant with more than a 20 per cent. interest in a body corporate which is a relevant national newspaper proprietor.

(3) A body corporate is not to be a participant with more than a 20 per cent. interest in a body corporate which holds a licence to provide a Channel 3 service if the first body corporate is one in which a relevant national newspaper proprietor is a participant with more than a 20 per cent. interest.

(4) A restriction imposed by this paragraph on participation in a body corporate which is the holder of a Channel 3 licence applies equally to participation in a body corporate which controls the holder of such a licence.

(5) Any restriction on participation imposed by this paragraph—

(a) on the proprietor of a newspaper, or

(b) on the holder of a licence,

is to apply as if he and every person connected with him were one person.

(6) In this paragraph “a relevant national newspaper proprietor” means a person who runs—

(a) a national newspaper which for the time being has a national market share of 20 per cent. or more; or

(b) national newspapers which for the time being together have a national market share of 20 per cent. or more.