FAS EXPERT COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATIONS DISCUSSED ONLINE DISSEMINATION OF TV- AND RADIO PROGRAMMES

The participants conciliated their position on a number of issues

On 4 October 2019, FAS held an Expert Council on Communications to discuss dissemination of TV- and radio channels 1 and 2 multiplexes on the internet, particularly, No. 759960-7 Federal Law “On amendments to some legislative acts of the Russian Federation in the part of the specifics of disseminating national  must-carry public TV-channels, as well as TV channels а that have the right for  digital  terrestrial broadcasting using position in  multiplexes all over Russia, through an information-and-telecommunications network, including the internet.

Representatives of broadcasters, communications operators, ОТТ-services, industry association, executive bodes took part in the event.

The draft law generated hot discussions:

“The participants expressed opposite points of view about the need for the draft Law and the consequences of applying it. FAS preliminary position was based considering a draft negative opinion of the Government of the Russian Federation prepared by the Ministry of Communications – FAS approved a draft official opinion”, saidDeputy Head of FAS Anatoly Golomolzin.

He added that “for full, comprehensive review and evaluation of the consequences for the market, it was decided to discuss the draft Law at the Expert Council, where all stakeholders were invited. The discussion at the Expert Council provided an insight into the expected mechanism of market performance”.

“In some sense we fixed approximating the positions of the event participants from unconditional rejection to discussing the consequences for various actors. All participants were unanimous with regard to non-applicability of the antimonopoly law to the authorized body that will be formed – there should be no exemptions from the Law “On Protection of Competition” for particular entities”, commented Deputy Head of FAS.