The Media Act 2024 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2024

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These are the first Commencement Regulations made under the 2024 Act (c. 15) (“the Act”). They bring into force on 23rd August 2024 all of the provisions of the Act except for—

(a) the following provisions that are commenced partially—

(i) section 25 (sections 20 to 24: further provision);

(ii) section 28 (prominence on television selection services);

(iii) section 48 (regulations of radio selection services);

(iv) schedule 2 (part 1: further amendments); and

(v) schedule 4 (chapter 2 of part 3: minor and consequential amendments);

(b) the provisions listed in column 1 of the Schedule introduced by Regulation 3, which are commenced for specified purposes only as detailed in column 2 of the Schedule; and

(c) the following provisions that are not commenced at all—

(i) section 2 (OFCOM reports: wider review and reporting obligations);

(ii) section 6 (enforcement of public service remits);

(iii) section 7 (power to amend public service remit for television in the United Kingdom);

(iv) section 10 (power to create additional quotas for qualifying audiovisual content);

(v) section 19 (amount of financial penalties: qualifying revenue);

(vi) section 32 (S4C’s powers and public service remit);

(vii) section 41 (licensing of analogue radio services);

(viii) section 42 (licensing and local services);

(ix) section 43 (character of local services);

(x) section 45 (financial assistance for radio);

(xi) section 46 (licensing of non-UK digital sound programme services); and

(xii) section 47 (radio multiplex licences).

The provisions specified in section 55(1) of the Act came into force on the day which it was passed, and section 50 came into force in accordance with section 55(2).

Regulation 4 provides for linked commencement where provisions of the Act make amendments to legislation that is subject to amendments made by the Communications Act 2003, but which have not been commenced yet. This will ensure that the amendments made by the Act will come into effect at the correct time.

A full impact assessment has been published in relation to the Act and copies can be obtained from the UK Parliament website at https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3505/publications or from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport at 100 Parliament Street, London, SW1A 2BQ, United Kingdom.