Content regulation in the Audiovisual Media Services (AMS) Directive and its implementation in Spain

Abstract

Radio and television are means to exercise the freedoms of information and expression. Of course, they have to be weighed with other rights and values affecting the whole community (access to information, protection of consumers, protection of culture and language) or some social groups sectors of society in need of protection (children, people with disabilities). Spanish legislation has in general just followed UE legislation. It has sometimes been passed with delay, and not always correctly. In this article we study the scheme of the Directive on Audiovisual Communication Services and we compare it with legal regulations currently in force in Spain to analyze to what extent it is adapted to the Directive.