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What it is

New rules for TV: advertising, teleshopping and child protection

BOE step 7 of 7 · Passed

It is a government bill. Introduced by the Government. It was introduced on 13 February 1998. Introduced by: Gobierno.

Official title: Government bill amending Law 25/1994, of July 12, incorporating into Spanish law Directive 89/552/EEC on the coordination of certain rules and practices in the field of television broadcasting.

Follow this law

Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 121/000102· updated 11 Nov

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

  1. This law amends Law 25/1994 to incorporate European Directive 97/36/EC on television. It expands the scope to all television operators, not only public service broadcasters, and sets out when an operator is considered established in Spain.
  2. Operators must reserve 51% of their annual broadcasting time for European audiovisual works and 10% for works by independent producers. They must also spend 5% of the previous year's revenue each year to fund European films and TV movies.
  3. Teleshopping is regulated as something different from advertising: channels devoted only to teleshopping or self-promotion are allowed, the maximum time for teleshopping within programs is expanded, and teleshopping of medicines, medical treatments and health products is banned.
  4. Advertising rules are relaxed: sponsorship of programs by pharmaceutical companies is allowed with restrictions, telepromotions and infomercials are regulated, and time limits for advertising and rules on interrupting programs are updated.
  5. Child protection is strengthened: programs that could harm minors may only air between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., with warnings and visual symbols, and every program must carry a rating about its suitability for minors.
  6. A new chapter creates viewers' right to know the TV schedule far enough in advance, which can only change for reasons beyond the operator's control. Third parties may also file complaints, and sanctions are toughened, up to loss of the operating license.

Who it affects

  • Television operators (public and private): They must meet European content quotas, advertising and teleshopping limits, child protection rules and information duties; they can face fines or loss of their operating license.
  • Viewers and consumers: They gain the right to know the schedule in advance and to file complaints, plus more protection from abusive advertising.
  • Minors and their families: More protection: restricted hours for harmful programs, warnings and suitability ratings for every program.
  • Autonomous Communities (Comunidades Autónomas): They may adopt measures to protect their own language on local TV and handle inspection and sanctions for TV services within their territory.
  • Independent audiovisual producers: They benefit from the 10% broadcasting time reserve and the mandatory funding of European works by TV operators.

Words worth knowing

Televenta (teleshopping)
Broadcasting direct offers to the public on TV to buy or rent goods or contract services for payment.
Publicidad encubierta (covert advertising)
Showing products or brands inside programs for advertising purposes without saying it is advertising.
Autopromoción (self-promotion)
Ads where a channel promotes its own programs or services; the law treats them as advertising.
Título habilitante (operating license)
Official authorization that allows an operator to provide television service; losing it means it can no longer broadcast.
Directiva europea (European Directive)
A European Union rule that member states must incorporate into their national law.

It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries

Where it stands

How far did it get?

It took 7 of 7 steps. It reached BOE, and today it is passed.

  1. Introduced13 February 1998Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
  2. Admitted17 February 1998The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
  3. Amendments24 February 1998Groups propose changes.
  4. Committee13 May 1998A committee goes through the text in detail.
  5. Plenaryno dateAll 350 deputies vote.
  6. Senate25 February 1999The Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
  7. BOE13 May 1999It is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 8 official steps on a timeline
Mar 1998Jun 1998Sept 1998Dec 1998Mar 199911. 13 February 1998: Presentación22. 17 February 1998: Comisión de Infraestructuras Publicación desde 17/02/1998 hasta 24/02/199833. 17 February 1998: Calificación44. 24 February 1998: Comisión de Infraestructuras Enmiendas desde 24/02/1998 hasta 13/05/199855. 13 May 1998: Comisión de Infraestructuras Informe desde 13/05/1998 hasta 23/02/199966. 23 February 1999: Comisión de Infraestructuras Aprobación con competencia legislativa plena desde 23/02/1999 hasta 25/02/199977. 25 February 1999: Senado desde 25/02/1999 hasta 13/05/199988. 13 May 1999: Concluido - (Aprobado con modificaciones) desde 13/05/1999 hasta 22/06/1999

Was there a plenary vote?

We have no plenary vote linked to this law in the Congreso’s data.

What happens next

What happens now?

It is law, or will be once published in the BOE. It comes into force on the date its own text sets.

The same initiative in the other chamber:

Published in the BOE: Law 22/1999, of June 7, amending Law 25/1994, of July 12, incorporating into the Spanish Legal System Directive 89/552/EEC, on the coordination of legal, regulatory and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to the exercise of television broadcasting activities.

Sources

Where does all this come from?

  • The data comes from the open files of the Congreso, the Senate and the BOE, unaltered.
  • Each deputy’s province is the one of their seat on the day of the vote.
  • We only say “passed” or “rejected” when the majority needed is certain; otherwise we say which side had more votes.

Read the full method · Report an error