The UK government has made changes to the law that applies to broadcasting after Brexit through the Broadcasting (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
One of the upcoming changes is that any TV service that appears on a ‘Regulated EPG’ needs to be licensed and regulated by Ofcom.
The exceptions to this are: TV services provided by a person within the jurisdiction of a country, other than the UK, which is party to the European Convention on Transfrontier Television (ECTT), and the following Irish channels: TG4, RTÉ1 and RTÉ2.
Broadly speaking, an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) is a service that consists of the listing or promotion of programmes or programme services and provides access to them. The full definition is in section 310(8) of the Communications Act 2003.
Any EPG being provided by a provider that holds a Television Licensable Content Service (TLCS) or Digital Television Additional Service (DTAS) licence for it immediately before the end of the transition period will become a ‘Regulated EPG’. See section 211A(2) of the Communications Act 2003 for the full meaning of a Regulated EPG.
Ofcom has listed the services that hold a licence to provide an EPG service, and we expect to become Regulated EPGs after the end of the transition period.
Ofcom will update this webpage as soon as possible after the end of the transition period. It is only after the end of the transition period that Ofcom will be able to confirm with certainty which services are Regulated EPGs.
