The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has welcomed the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) coming into force, stating it will strengthen media independence and pluralism.
The EBU, which represents public service media organisations such as the BBC and Italy’s RAI, said the EMFA will: safeguard public service media from political interference; ensure visibility of media brands; grant access to audience data; and help protect journalistic sources.
The EMFA entered into effect on August 8.
Notably, Article 5 of the EMFA introduces safeguards for public service media against political interference in its governance and mandates stable, adequate, and predictable funding.
The EMFA also provides for a right to have a media brand made visible to users, for example, on Smart TVs, and a right for media services to access audience data. It also aims to protect journalistic sources.
Article 18 sets out new requirements for big tech platforms, including transparency and procedural safeguards before they can restrict or remove regulated media content.
EBU Director of Legal and Policy Richard Burnley said: “I can’t stress enough how much anticipation and hope there is for the EMFA. Media freedom is a cornerstone of democracy, and we now rely on EU Member States to do their part in the meaningful implementation of the EMFA’s provisions. It is essential for the EU’s resilience and sovereignty that the media sector can resist political influence. The EMFA also prioritises and upholds public service media’s role in uniting, informing, educating, and entertaining audiences throughout the EU.”
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and several of its members recently created Security4Media, a non-profit association for media organisations and technology vendors dedicated to reducing cyber risks and supporting trust in media.
RTS names Chair of Student Television Awards at annual ceremony
At the annual awards ceremony, the Royal Television Society (RTS) welcomed Rhuanedd Richards as Chair of the Student Television Awards.
.jpg)
Sony invests seven figures in AI copyright protection startup
The Sony Innovation Fund has invested in Midnight Labs to protect IP from mass piracy, deepfakes, and AI-generated infringement in the US and Japanese markets.
CMA formally begins investigating Paramount's $110bn WBD merger
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published the commencement notice for its investigation of Paramount Skydance’s anticipated acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), marking the official beginning of the inquiry.
.png)
Ecoflow X joins partner programme for IBC2026
Former IBC Accelerator project Ecoflow has launched as an independent entity – Ecoflow X – to function as an experimentation arm for sustainability.
Broadcast TV remains the UK’s most used media format
Seven in ten UK adults (70%) watch broadcast TV content at least weekly, making it the most commonly used media format, according to a YouGov survey. Social media (67%) and streaming platforms (64%) follow closely behind.
