Skip to main content
BFI logo

Home

Film

Television

People

History

Education

Tours

Help

  search

Search

Screenonline banner
Broadcasting Legislation
 

Current and historical legislation concerning British broadcasting

Main image of Broadcasting Legislation

The BBC first started as the British Broadcasting Company (representing the interests of some radio manufacturers) and was licensed in 1923 by the Postmaster General under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1904 before being established by Royal Charter. The company was involved in television development from 1929 and in 1935 was licensed to provide a public television service.

The Independent Television Authority was established under the Television Act 1954 to provide additional television broadcasting services. Its existence was continued under the Television Act 1964 and under the Independent Broadcasting Act 1973, although its name had been changed to the Independent Broadcasting Authority by the Sound Broadcasting Act 1972 (which also permitted it to provide local sound broadcasting services).

The Broadcasting Act 1981 amended and consolidated certain provisions contained in previous legislation including the removal of the prohibition on certain specified people from broadcasting opinions expressed in proceedings of Parliament or local authorities, the extension of the IBA's functions to the provision of programmes for Channel 4 and the establishment of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission.

Cable programme services and satellite broadcasts were the subject of the Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984. This Act and the Broadcasting Act 1981 were repealed and consolidated by the Broadcasting Act 1990 which implemented proposals in the Government's White Paper Broadcasting in the 1990s: Competition Choice and Quality (Cm 517, November 1988). Earlier recommendations on the reform of the broadcasting industry had been made in the Report of the Committee on Financing the BBC (the Peacock Report) (Cmnd 9824, July 1986) and the Third Report of the Home Affairs Committee's inquiry into the Future of Broadcasting (HC Paper 262, Session 1987-88, June 1988).

Related Films and TV programmes

Related Collections

Thumbnail image of 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act

1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act

The key British copyright legislation, covering works across all media

Thumbnail image of 1949 Wireless Telegraphy Act

1949 Wireless Telegraphy Act

Legislation that established broadcast licensing

Thumbnail image of 1967 Marine (etc.) Broadcasting (Offences) Act

1967 Marine (etc.) Broadcasting (Offences) Act

Legislation taking action against offshore pirate broadcasters

Thumbnail image of 1967 Wireless Telegraphy Act

1967 Wireless Telegraphy Act

Legislation regulating the sale or hire of television sets

Thumbnail image of 1984 Telecommunications Act

1984 Telecommunications Act

Legislation that established regulation of the airwaves

Thumbnail image of 1990 Broadcasting Act

1990 Broadcasting Act

Controversial legislation that redrew the broadcasting landscape

Thumbnail image of 1990 Finance Act

1990 Finance Act

Legislation dealing with tax issues in the wake of the Broadcasting Act 1990

Thumbnail image of 1996 Broadcasting Act

1996 Broadcasting Act

Legislation that paved the way for the digital TV revolution

Thumbnail image of 2003 Communications Act

2003 Communications Act

Law restructuring telecommunications licensing and regulation

Thumbnail image of EU Directive 89/552

EU Directive 89/552

European Union proposals concerning 'television without frontiers'

Thumbnail image of EU Directive 92/100

EU Directive 92/100

European Union proposals concerning film rental rights

Thumbnail image of EU Directive 93/83

EU Directive 93/83

European Union proposals for satellite transmission and cable retransmission

Thumbnail image of EU Directive 93/98

EU Directive 93/98

European Union proposals for harmonising copyright

Related People and Organisations