Broadcasting Act 1990

Restrictions on proprietors of newspapers

2 (1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), no proprietor of a national or local newspaper shall 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) a Channel 3 service or Channel 5, or

(b) a national radio service.

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) shall not impose any restriction on the proprietor of a local newspaper as respects participation in a body corporate which is the holder of a licence to provide a regional Channel 3 service except where the newspaper and the service each serve an area which is to a significant extent the same as that served by the other.

(3) No person who—

(a) is the proprietor of a national newspaper, and

(b) is a participant with more than a 5 per cent. interest in a body corporate falling within sub-paragraph (1) (but, in accordance with that sub-paragraph, is not a participant with more than a 20 per cent. interest in it),

shall be a participant with more than a 5 per cent. interest in any other such body corporate.

(4) No person who is the proprietor of a local newspaper shall 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 relevant local radio service or a relevant local delivery service.

(5) The Secretary of State may by order—

(a) amend sub-paragraph (1), (3) or (4) by substituting a different percentage for the percentage for the time being specified there;

(b) prescribe restrictions (in addition to that imposed by sub-paragraph (3)) on the extent to which the proprietor of a national or local newspaper may be a participant in two or more bodies corporate which are the holders of licences to provide services falling within sub-paragraph (1)(a) or (b);

(c) prescribe restrictions on the extent to which the proprietor of a national newspaper may be a participant in a body corporate which is the holder of a licence to provide a relevant service falling within paragraph 1(2)(f) or (3)(b) in Part III of this Schedule, or in two or more such bodies corporate;

(d) prescribe restrictions on the extent to which the proprietor of a local newspaper may be a participant in two or more bodies corporate which are the holders of licences to provide relevant local radio services or relevant local delivery services;

(e) prescribe restrictions on the extent to which a person who is the proprietor of a newspaper of any specified description may be a participant in a body corporate which is the holder of a licence to provide any specified description of service falling within paragraph 1(2)(b) or (c) or (3)(d) in Part III of this Schedule or in two or more such bodies corporate.

(6) Paragraph 7(1) in Part III of this Schedule shall have effect in relation to any restriction imposed by or under this paragraph as it has effect in relation to any restriction imposed by or under paragraph 4, 5 or 6 in Part III.