Mobile Industry Gets Guide To New EU Directive

The Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF) has launched a guide to the Audiovisual Media Services (AMS) directive, which updates and replaces the existing EU framework for the television and broadcast industry.

Taking over from the Television without Frontiers (TWF) directive, the AMS directive will see existing rules for traditional TV enforced for mobile multimedia services, including mobile television broadcasting and video on-demand.

The guide is available on the MEF website and provides information on how the directive will affect businesses and services.

According to the MEF, the directive should allow mobile companies operating across Europe to more fully exploit opportunities across the single market.

The AMS directive will be adopted by the end of this year, after which member states have two years to pass legislation bringing the directive into force at a national level.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is the Government department responsible for this in the UK and will be holding a series of stakeholder meetings to confer with the industry during this process.

Gerard Grech, MEF Europe chair, said: “When implemented, the AMS directive will place a number of new guidelines on companies operating in the mobile sector providing audiovisual content services, particularly in relation to advertising and sponsorship.

“According to a MEF-based survey conducted in October 2007, over 50% of the mobile entertainment business is likely to be affected by this Directive. This guide is therefore timely in providing strategic regulatory guidance and advice on the possible impact and opportunities the directive creates for all involved in the mobile audiovisual value chain.”

Mobile Entertainment Forum: www.m-e-f.org