EU regulators pressure states over TV laws

European regulators put pressure Tuesday on 16 of the EU's 27 states in moves to ensure bloc-wide media law is implemented at national level.

The European Commission has written to the 16, including major European Union television markets in Britain, France and Italy, seeking clarification on "a wide variety of issues" concerning the law's implementation.

An EU directive demands states' audio-visual output meets bloc-wide standards for everything from the "prohibition of incitement to hatred" to advertising rules or which 'crown jewel' sports events must be available on free-to-air channels.

Last month, Europe's second highest court said EU states can bar pay-TV from having exclusive rights to World Cup and Euro championship football games so that fans can watch them for free.

Brussels also said earlier this month it will take France and Spain to court for refusing to lift national taxes imposed on telecom operators after the governments banned paid advertising on public TV.

Paris and Madrid imposed "telecom taxes" in 2009 to make up for revenue lost with the abolition of paid advertising on public television channels, with annual revenue from the French charge estimated at 400 million euros.

(c) 2011 AFP