UK broadcast regulator Ofcom is consulting on its provisional view of the television selection services (TSS) it proposes should be designated under the Media Act 2024.

According to Ofcom, it is critical that viewers can easily find and discover the diverse range of high-quality content public service broadcasters (PSBs) offer for UK audiences, including trusted and accurate news. The Media Act 2024 introduced a new online availability and prominence regime for how PSB TV players – such as BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 stream, 5, STV player, S4C Clic – are distributed on connected TV platforms – referred to in the Act as television selection services.

Television selection services designated by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport will be required to ensure designated PSB TV players and their content are available, prominent, and easily accessible.

Ofcom is now consulting on its provisional view that 14 services should be designated.

Its provisional view is that relevant versions of the following 14 TSS should be designated: Amazon Fire TV OS; Android TV; Apple TV OS; Google TV; LG WebOS; Roku OS; Samsung Smart Hub (Tizen); Sky Entertainment OS;  Sky Q; VIDAA OS; Virgin Media Horizon; Virgin Media TiVo on V6 devices; YouView on EE TV (Sagemcom devices); YouView on Sony devices.

The consultation closes on September 16^th, 2025. Ofcom says it will take full account of the views of stakeholders and any further available information when making its final recommendations to the Secretary of State, later in 2025.

Implementing the Media Act – decisions

Ofcom is also publishing final decisions on some other aspects of its work to implement the Media Act:

Designation of Public Service Broadcasters’ Internet Programme Services

Ofcom is setting out the methods which it will apply for determining which PSB TV players – formally known as ‘internet programme services’ (IPS) – satisfy the conditions, set out in legislation, to benefit from the new availability and prominence regime, and therefore should be designated. BBC iPlayer will be automatically designated.

Revised Guidance for Public Service Broadcasters on Commissioning Codes of Practice

As a result of changes introduced by the Media Act 2024 to update the regulatory framework for PSBs, Ofcom has made changes to the guidance for PSBs for producing their commissioning Codes of Practice. The changes afford PSBs’ greater flexibility and freedom in how they deliver their quotas for independent productions, by enabling them to use their on-demand players to meet independent production quotas.

Statement of Programme Policy and Statement of Media Content Policy Guidance

The Media Act gives the PSBs greater flexibility as to how they deliver their remits. Following consultation, Ofcom is updating its guidance to licensed PSBs about preparing their Statement of Programme Policy – the documents through which they explain how they are fulfilling their remit.

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Tags: connected TV, Ofcom, PSBs, television selection services