Lenka Hrivnáková, Author at The Association of Commercial Television

MULTICHOICE LAUNCHES ANTI-PIRACY INITIATIVE IN MALAWI

MultiChoice has run a four-day anti-piracy training and enforcement operation in Malawi, the first stage of a long-term initiative to combat piracy and protect the creative economy in the South East Africa country.

21 participants, including officers from the Malawi Police Service, prosecutors, and representatives from the Ministry of Justice, were involved in the event, which covered topics including types of piracy, enforcement techniques, legal frameworks, and the growing threat of internet streaming piracy.

A seminar held on 21 May 2025 was followed by a successful enforcement operation was carried out in Lilongwe, Malawi’a capital city.

Acting on intelligence and strategies discussed during the training, the Malawi Police Service, with support from COSOMA, raided an illegal internet streaming operation. Two suspects were arrested, and several hundred pieces of pirate streaming equipment were seized.

Frikkie Jonker, MultiChoice Group Africa Anti-Piracy Director, said:

“This raid is a testament to what can be achieved through strong partnerships and dedicated training. We are proud of the collaboration with the Malawi Police Service and COSOMA and commend them for their swift action and commitment to enforcement. This is the first of many efforts to come in Malawi, and we look forward to supporting more initiatives that strengthen content protection and uphold the rule of law.”

Under Malawi law anyone with devices capable of infringing copyright law faces to a fine of MWK 10,000,000 (€5,000) and imprisonment for four years. The fine can be increased by MWK 50,000 for each day during which the offence continues.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

ARREST IN ONLINE PIRACY CASE

Officers from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit at City of London Police arrested the 47 year-old man, on suspicion of copyright offences.

He is suspected to have obtained thousands of films, television series and songs without the necessary licence or permissions from the copyright owners and then distributed them through a file sharing torrent site. The content included two recent Hollywood films that were leaked before their official release dates. The names of the titles have not been revealed.

The man was arrested at his home in Penmaenmawr, Wales on 29 April. Officers shut down the site and seized two laptops and several hard drives for further examination. A large quantity of discs, which were used to store some of the content, were also seized.

The arrest took place following a collaborative investigation between PIPCU and the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

Detective Constable Jason Theobald, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police, said:

“This operation serves as a warning to anyone thinking of uploading copyrighted material to pirate sites. This is a crime that diverts funds away from the creative industries, money that not only supports artists, but thousands of technical and support staff working in this sector.”

Karyn Temple, Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel for the Motion Picture Association, added:

“As technology continues to evolve, so do the threats to creative content. This decisive enforcement action reinforces the message that piracy is not a victimless crime– it damages creators, disrupts legitimate businesses, and endangers consumers. We are proud to stand with PIPCU and our partners to protect creative industries and ensure audiences around the world can enjoy stories in a safe, legal, and secure way.”

The man has since been released under investigation.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

CREATORS AND INDUSTRY LEADERS RALLY FOR FAITHFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF AI REGULATION AT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Last night, cultural and creative voices from across Europe came together in the European Parliament with a united message: the EU policymakers must uphold the principles of transparency, consent, and protection of creators’ rights as artificial intelligence is integrated into the cultural and creative sectors.

Hosted by MEPs Brando Benifei and Michael McNamara, the event brought together prominent figures from across the European creative community, including ABBA co-founder and CISAC President, Björn Ulvaeus, Olivier Nusse (Universal Music France), Christian van Thillo (DPG Media), Anne-Sylvie Bameule (Actes Sud), and Jesús Badenes del Río (Planeta Books Division). The event also drew participation from a wide range of creators and performers, highlighting the breadth of concern and unity across the sector.

Speaking on behalf of a broad coalition of authors, performers, publishers, producers, and cultural enterprises, participants voiced serious concern about the current direction of AI policy implementation in the EU. They emphasised the need for meaningful involvement of the creative sector in shaping standards that will govern how AI is developed and used, particularly where it affects creative content.

Voices from the event emphasised the urgency of faithful implementation of AI regulation

Björn Ulvaeus, co-founder of ABBA and President of CISAC, said:

“We must never be seduced by the false idea that, in the headlong rush to the new AI world, creators’ interests must be cast aside. That approach won’t work – not for the creative sector, not for the economy, or for culture, or even for the tech sector whose vast AI revenues, let’s not forget, derive from copyrighted creative works made by humans. The vision has to be a win-win for creators and the tech industry. That can only happen with legislation that truly and effectively safeguards creators.”

Anne-Sylvie Bameule, President of Actes Sud, added that “fake AI transparency as currently proposed by the European Commission will enable AI companies to keep stealing millions of books in full impunity. The book market is already flooded with fake books that not only threaten the biggest European cultural sector but can also endanger consumers. The European legislator clearly said ‘no more’, it’s time for the Commission to do what the law says.”

Christian van Thillo, Executive Chairman of DPG Media, delivered a stark message:

“Big tech built empires by ignoring copyright and privacy rules, and today they’re doing the same with AI. Without compliance with the AI Act and rigorous enforcement, European culture and democracy will pay the price.”

Jesús Badenes del Río, CEO of Planeta Group’s Books Division, stressed that “full enforcement of copyright legal framework and development of AI models should not be seen as conflicting objectives. Respect for creativity requires strong and full transparency requirements about all works used for generative AI models. We should not forget that our society does not get best creative contents only from the benevolence of authors, but also from their regard to their own interest, as Adam Smith established in 1776 in his seminal work ‘The Wealth of Nations’. We encourage both European legislators and European Commission to act strategically regarding one of the real backbones of prosperity and democracy.”

Olivier Nusse, CEO of Universal Music France, highlighted that “a responsible AI serves artists and does not replace them. It collaborates with creators, not parasite them. It should elevate culture—not dilute it. Because without artists and writers, there is no culture to protect in the first place. Intellectual Property Rights are there to protect human creativity. Only music created by humans should receive intellectual property protection. Songs produced by AI without any creative input should not.”

The message: Stay True to the Act, Stay True to Culture

The event was part of the creative sector’s growing “Stay True to the Act, Stay True to Culture” campaign. This initiative underscores a shared call for transparency, consent, and remuneration to be at the heart of AI implementation. The coalition emphasised that AI and creativity can thrive together – if the rules respect the people whose work powers these technologies.

For further information, please contact: brussels@ifpi.org

Source: ifpi.org

A NEW WAY TO FIGHT TV PIRATES. EDUCATION, FINES INSTEAD OF JAIL, AND ADVANCED TECHNICAL MEASURES

With the gradual development of television services via the Internet, a group of unauthorized distributors has emerged alongside legal and established pay-TV operators, supplying content illegally at a fraction of the price. Alternatively, fraudsters appear who do not deliver the content at all, or deliver it in poor quality, and even attempt to compromise the viewer’s device with malicious code.

According to several studies and research, piracy of audiovisual content has been significantly reduced, mainly thanks to streaming services, where users pay a flat fee for access to a very rich video library of various films, series, and exclusive content. However, unauthorized reception persists, especially for sports broadcasts, which are very attractive to viewers and increasingly expensive for television stations and operators. However, with the gradual development of internet television services, a group of unauthorized distributors has emerged alongside legal and established operators, supplying content illegally at a fraction of the price. In some cases, outright fraudsters appear who do not deliver the content at all or deliver it in poor quality, and even attempt to compromise the viewer’s device with malicious code.

However, current developments require cooperation between authorities and companies and institutions focused on combating illegal activities. Several European countries have already made sufficient progress to enable law enforcement agencies to take effective action against those who illegally distribute sports content and to warn those who often unknowingly watch pirated content. In many cases, illegal IPTV platforms are indistinguishable from legal operators. Thanks to highly effective marketing via social networks and naturally lower prices, unauthorized providers can win viewers over without them realizing that they are breaking the law.

This is one of the reasons why, in Italy, for example, the authorities have focused on other types of repression instead of imprisonment. More important is education, awareness, and fines imposed at realistic levels so that they are not ruinous. For example, fines imposed in March and April this year in Italy affected more than 2,000 people and ranged from €154 to €1,032. If someone reoffends, they face a fine of up to €5,000, at least according to material published on the Advanced Television website.

However, education is also important, and advanced technical means also play a role. It is not just a matter of detecting illegal streams, but above all of blocking them effectively. For example, a court in France has already ordered the blocking of illegal streams by companies operating VPN services. This can be a very effective measure, especially for ordinary viewers who cannot distinguish between the offerings of an unauthorized operator and a legal service.

Combating pirate distribution in the online world is a very long-term endeavor. However, it is positive that the authorities are now focusing primarily on education, technical measures, and appropriate fines, rather than resorting to very strict or even punitive sanctions. This approach may ultimately be even more effective in the fight against piracy.

Source: tvkompas.cz

CANAL+ SECURES BLOCKING ORDER ON ILLEGAL SPORTS STREAMING

The Paris Judicial Court has ruled in favour of Canal+ ordering the blocking of 203 domain names associated with illegal sports streaming sites by five VPN providers.

Under the ruling, NordVPN, Cyberghost, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and Proton are now required to block access to 203 domain names used to illegally stream UEFA Champions League, Premier League, and Top 14 matches. Canal+ holds the exclusive broadcasting rights to the three competitions in France.

Canal+ welcomed the decision, which it said sends a strong message regarding the responsibility of VPN providers, recognising them for the first time as “technical intermediaries” in the illegal broadcasting of sports content.

“The group is proud to have initiated this major step forward in the fight against sports piracy in France and beyond, setting a legal precedent”.

The decision, a legal first, follows previous court orders obtained in 2022 targeting illegal streaming sites via Internet Service Providers, in 2024 via alternative DNS providers, and in 2025 via CDN and proxy services, this new ruling against VPNs is fully aligned with the group’s strategy to hold all types of technical intermediaries accountable in the battle against audiovisual piracy.

Canal says protecting its content remains a top priority.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

ADVERTISING COUNCIL INTRODUCES NEW MEMBERS AND UPDATES ITS CODEX

The Advertising Council, an association dedicated to self-regulation in advertising, has welcomed three professional associations and one company into its ranks.

At the beginning of the year, it became a member of the Czech Insurance Association. The RPR General Assembly also accepted new entities from the gambling industry. New passages in the RPR Code focus on self-regulation of advertising in this sector. Sazka, a long-standing member of the Advertising Council, has been joined by Kaizen Gaming, the operator of the Betano betting office. Two professional organizations from the same industry have also joined: the Institute for the Regulation of Gambling and the Association of Betting Operators.

The General Meeting also approved a proposal to amend the RPR Code, which was the result of cooperation between gambling operators and representatives of the Association of Commercial Television (AKTV) and the Association for Internet Development (SPIR). The proposal was submitted by Sazka on behalf of all the new members mentioned above.

The Code newly regulates and tightens the conditions for advertising and communication of gambling and betting games, particularly with regard to their impact on minors. The new version of the Code will enter into force on September 1, 2025. Until then, the gambling and betting industry has a deadline to terminate commercial contracts and cease activities that could be in conflict with the Code.

“We see membership and specific steps leading to self-regulation of advertising on the basis of the Advertising Council as confirmation that self-regulation is an effective means of protecting consumers and cultivating the industry,”

says Marek Hlavica, Executive Director of the Advertising Council.

The RPR is an association of all participants in the advertising market—media, advertising producers, and advertisers—who are bound by the Advertising Council Code. The Code is updated to reflect social demands and new trends in communication. Its provisions go beyond the scope of legal regulation. Any violations are resolved by the RPR’s arbitration committee. The commission also assesses advertising proposals prior to implementation, if requested by the advertiser or its agency.

The RPR is also involved in training professionals and raising awareness of advertising ethics. Last year, the RPR celebrated 30 years of existence, during which it has helped to create a stable and predictable environment for economic competition.

Source: mam.cz

NOVA WAS STRONGEST IN APRIL. PRIMA SECOND, THURS DROPPED TO THIRD POSITION

April’s broadcast changed the position of the strongest domestic TV stations in the market. Nova Group took the first position in all major audience categories. The Prima group moved up to number two, while Czech Television finished third.

The Nova TV group achieved the highest TV market share in April in all major audience categories in both daytime and evening broadcasts. Compared to the previous results, it leapfrogged Czech Television in the universal 15+ group throughout the day. This is according to official ATO-Nielsen viewership data.

Czech Television stations finished a close third in April, with the Prima group ahead by a small margin. This is true for all major audience groups in both all-day and prime-time broadcasts. The only exception, where CT recorded a higher share than Prima, was the 15-54 audience category in all-day broadcasting.

At the same time, the Nova group improved the most among the top three in all-day broadcasting year-on-year, while CT’s share declined slightly year-on-year. It fell slightly more in prime-time. In prime time, the Prima group was the most successful of the top 3 year-on-year.

Television Seznam continues to increase its share of viewership, with a 2.5% share in the 18-69 primary group. It is significantly increasing its share in prime time. The share of Atmedia is also growing.

TV group share (%), all day, April 2025

Share of TV groups (%), prime-time, April 2025

Television Seznam was the jumping partner

Of the individual stations, Television Seznam recorded the highest year-on-year share gain (+0.69 ppts to 2.35%). The news channel CT24 also did well (+0.4 ppts to 4.37%). TheNova group’s stations, namely the main channel Nova and the thematic channels Nova Cinema and Nova Lady, increased their share evenly. Prima Krimi, CNN Prima News and the main channel Prima also continued to grow. The comparison is valid for CS 15+.

Vraždy v kraji is the show of the month

The most watched programme in April was the new series Vraždy v kraji (Nova), whose opening episode was watched by an average of 1.37 million viewers 15+. This was followed by Televizní noviny with 1.2 million viewers (Nova, broadcast on 7 April) and the series Specialisté (Nova). Specifically, this was the episode broadcast on 21 April with 1.16 million viewers aged 15+.

Source: mediaguru.cz

ASSOCIATION OF COMMERCIAL TELEVISION CELEBRATES 8 YEARS, MAREK SINGER REPLACES KLÁRA BRACHTLOVÁ AS PRESIDENT

This spring, the Association of Commercial Television is celebrating eight years since its founding. It continues to be actively involved in the fight against Internet piracy, where it has achieved significant success in recent years, and is also fulfilling its other goals, such as raising awareness of television as a powerful and effective advertising medium and actively participating in legislative processes affecting the business of commercial broadcasters.

This spring, the Association of Commercial Television, which brings together the Nova, Prima, and Óčko television groups, celebrated its eighth year of operation. The association’s anniversary is traditionally also associated with a change in the presidency, with the current president, Klára Brachtlová, Interim Deputy CEO & Chief External Affairs of the CME media group, being replaced after two years by Marek Singer, CEO of the Prima group.

“My two years as president of AKTV have been marked by a number of important issues. I consider the transformation of the Film Fund into the Audiovisual Fund and the amendment to the law on public service media financing to be key achievements. We have also celebrated significant successes in the fight against internet piracy, which remains one of our main priorities,”

said Klára Brachtlová.

Last year, AKTV concluded agreements with other internet storage providers – eDisk, Sledujte.to, Webshare.cz, Přehraj.to, and Datoid.cz, which thus joined Hellshare, Hellspy, and Fastshare, with which agreements had already been concluded. To raise awareness of the illegality of sharing copyrighted content, AKTV operates a specialised section dedicated to copyright on its website. Here, interested parties can find information on legal and illegal consumption of content, a glossary of terms and the latest news in the field of copyright.

“AKTV has big plans for the coming period and will soon announce one of our major projects for this year. In terms of upcoming legislation, our priority will be the adaptation of the European Act on Freedom of the Media, but also the Digital Economy Act, where we would like to see an amendment strengthening the position of copyright holders in cases of illegal sharing of their protected content,”

adds Marek Singer, president of AKTV.

Last year, AKTV also developed activities aimed at promoting television as an effective advertising medium. It regularly publishes news, research studies, and trends from the world of television advertising, both in the Czech Republic and abroad, on its website ScreenVoice.cz. Readers can find information about advertising effectiveness and creative campaigns, or read a number of original articles on various interesting topics. A series of articles about advertising battles between major brands has been created especially for this year’s anniversary. Thanks to exclusive cooperation with the media agency GroupM and its research project mPanel, a series of articles is being created for ScreenVoice.cz that reveal the hidden connections associated with television viewing.

To mark World Television Day on November 21, AKTV prepared a full-day program for its business partners, culminating in an entertaining culinary show called Pekelná telka (Hell TV), hosted by chef Radek Kašpárek and ably assisted by presenter Ondřej Sokol.

About the Association of Commercial Television Stations (www.AKTV.cz)

The Association of Commercial Television represents the most important commercial broadcasters in the Czech Republic. Its aim is to defend, support, and promote their common interests.

AKTV is actively involved in the preparation of national and European legislation relating to commercial television broadcasting, personal data protection, journalism, and commercial communications. It is a partner for state authorities, EU institutions, and other stakeholders. One of AKTV’s main activities is protecting the copyright of its members and combating internet piracy.

In addition, AKTV is also active in promoting television as an advertising medium. It operates the information website ScreenVoice.cz for communication with advertisers and media agencies.

About ScreenVoice (www.ScreenVoice.cz)

On ScreenVoice.cz, readers will find inspiration, trends, research, and news about what’s happening in the world of television in the Czech Republic and abroad. Each month is dedicated to a single topic, for which original content is prepared. Readers can enjoy magazine-style articles on topics such as the first ever television advertisement, Christmas and Valentine’s Day advertising specials, and reflections on advertising during COVID and the war in Ukraine. The theme of the month is complemented by a calendar of industry events, a glossary of terms from the world of total video, and the popular Myths and Facts about TV section, which provides a range of data refuting the most common myths about television. A separate category is the AKTV event archive, where interested parties can find all recordings of speeches and presentations from the last seven years.

BARNETT IS THE NEW CEO OF CME, REPLACING STOESSEL

Sam Barnett will replace Didier Stoessel, who remains PPF’s chief investment officer, as head of CME’s media group.

With effect from 1 May 2025, Central European Media Enterprises (CME), which includes TV Nova, has appointed Sam Barnett, a media executive with international experience in television and streaming, as CEO.

In his new role, Sam Barnett will replace Didier Stoessel, who will remain as Chief Investment Officer of PPF, which includes overseeing the group’s media investments. Didier Stoessel has held combined positions at PPF and CME since 2022.

“We are confident that his global management experience and expertise make him the best possible person to successfully steer CME Group into the years ahead,” said Didier Stoessel, Chief Investment Officer of PPF and current CEO of CME, responsible for the Czech and Romanian markets.

Since its takeover by PPF Group four years ago, CME has undergone a transformation from a linearly focused broadcaster to a digital media group. The streaming service Voyo has become the centre of its activities, growing from 30,000 subscribers to 950,000.

CME operates TV stations in six markets in Central and Eastern Europe, namely Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania and Moldova, Slovakia and Slovenia. CME broadcasts on 46 TV channels, reaches 49 million viewers and operates the growing streaming service Voyo and the new platform Oneplay.

Source: mediaguru.cz

CZECH TELEVISION IN MARCH FIRST, GROWING NOVA. TV SEZNAM IS AHEAD OF BARRANDOV GROUP

The positions of the strongest TV groups remained unchanged in March compared to the previous months of this year.

Czech Television stations also achieved the highest TV market share in the universal audience group over 15 years old in March. Their cumulative share in all-day broadcasting was 29.22%, 0.3 percentage points higher than in March last year. This is according to official measurement data from ATO-Nielsen.

The situation is further balanced in this audience group within the all-day broadcast. This is followed by the Nova and Prima groups (27.55% and 27.36% respectively).

In the primary time 15+ as well as in all other monitored audience groups 15-54 and 18-69, the Nova group confirmed the highest shares in both daytime and evening broadcasts. Its year-on-year growth in March is also the highest in the TV market.

Growth also continues for Television Seznam, which in March managed to overtake the Barrandov group stations even in the wider 15+ target group (the first time this has happened so far only in December 2024, a strong period for Television Seznam). In the 18-69 group, which is key for Seznam, Television Seznam already had a higher share in some months of this year and the previous year. At the same time, Television Seznam’s increased share is also helped by the representation of Atmedia.

TV Group Share (%), March 2025

TV Nova is the channel of the month

Of the individual stations, TV Nova was the main channel with the highest year-on-year share increase this March (+0.8pp, valid for CS 15+). Also doing well were the news channel CT24 (+0.7 ppts. to 4.63%), Prima Krimi (+0.5 ppts. to 4.71%) and CNN Prima News (+0.4 ppts. to 2.44%).

The most watched programmes in March were Television News (Nova), Specialisté (Nova) and Případy 1. oddělení (CT1).

Source: mediaguru.cz

TOWARDS A TANGIBLE AND EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EUROPEAN MEDIA FREEDOM ACT (EMFA) AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT OBLIGATIONS

The joint media industry position paper outlines practical recommendations for implementing the European Media Freedom Act’s principles on audience measurement. Together, ACT, EBU and egta strongly encourage the Commission to develop detailed guidelines clarifying how these provisions should be applied consistently across Europe.

Full position available here.