Advanced Television

COBA

COBA: Ad rules proposals risk news cuts

Broadcasters have slammed UK regulator Ofcom’s proposed changes to advertising rules which they say will result in the loss of nearly half an hour of news coverage a day. A report from broadcasting association COBA suggests that plans to allow more advertising on ITV and Channel 4 would result in 27.5 minutes of public service […]

June 6, 2023By Colin Mann

Welsh MPs to question Netflix

Netflix is to give evidence to a broadcasting in Wales inquiry being conducted by the UK House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee The session will focus on video-on-demand services. MPs will hear from representatives from Netflix and the Association for Commercial Broadcasters and On-Demand Services (COBA). Netflix recently produced its comedy-drama series Sex Education in […]

January 12, 2023By Colin Mann

Broadcasters dismayed by Hungary anti-LGBTIQ law

Broadcaster Associations across Europe are concerned about the effects and potential precedence setting of the recent Bill adopted by the Hungarian National Assembly amending the national Acts on Media Services & Mass Media and Advertising. The Bill openly discriminates against LGBTIQ communities and contravenes fundamental rights enshrined in articles 7,9 11, 16 and 21 of […]

June 30, 2021

EU quota threat to UK productions

A paper circulated among its member states suggests that in the wake of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, the bloc is preparing to act against the “disproportionate” amount of British television and film content shown in Europe. The UK’s dominance of international broadcast sales has been described as a threat to Europe’s “cultural […]

June 22, 2021By Colin Mann

Report: Record investment in UK drama

Increases in both co-commissions between traditional broadcasters and SVoDs, and in sole commissions, drove investment in British TV drama to a record £2.6 billion (€2.88bn) in 2019, according to a new report commissioned by COBA, the industry association for commercial broadcasters and on-demand services. Fuelling the growth, co-commissions surged by 17 per cent, from 30 […]

December 4, 2020By Colin Mann