The United Kingdom’s Media Bill, which was earlier thought would be put in cold storage with the announcement of general elections, is set to become a law, marking landmark new rules bringing streaming services under regulator Ofcom’s watch, and giving more importance to pubcasters like BBC, Advanced Television has reported.

The House of Lords passed the Media Bill last Thursday evening as lawmakers rushed to ensure the legislation can receive royal Assent before Parliament is dissolved on May 30 ahead of an election.

The Media Bill has been years in the making, but the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to call a snap election on July 4 put the legislation in jeopardy at the eleventh hour.

However, as the Advanced Television report stated, the bosses of the BBC, ITV, Paramount-owned Channel 5, and Comcast-owned Sky all signed a statement urging British politicians to pass the Media Bill before a change of government.

“As leading CEOs from the UK broadcasting industry, we call on politicians across Parliament not to let the opportunity to modernise the rules that govern our sector pass,” they said.

The Media Act, as the legislation will become known, will bring the major streaming services under the watch of Ofcom, meaning they will policed on issues including accuracy and harmful content.

It will give public service broadcasters, such as the BBC, greater prominence in the age of streaming and allow Channel 4 to produce its own shows for the first time, the Advance television report added.

Meanwhile, IndianbroadcastingWorld.com reviewed information put out by the UK parliament on its website that stated the aim of the Media Bill was to update the existing legislative framework on broadcasting governance following the UK’s exit from the EU and to address technological changes, such as the rise of on-demand services.

The bill also seeks to provide for the sustainability of Channel 4 and regulate the powers, remit and audit of Welsh language channel S4C.

“Due to the upcoming general election, Parliament will be dissolved on Thursday 30 May. To prevent this bill from failing at the end of this Parliament, its remaining stages have been fast-tracked. This period of completing unfinished business before a general election is known as the ‘wash up’,” the information on the Media Bill read.

“Members speaking at report stage put down amendments to be considered on subjects including education function of public service broadcasting educational programming for children and young people,” it said.

(Image courtesy UK parliament website)