ITC Licensing

[Fanackerpants]

The following was posted recently and contains an interesting statement about the Games Network not being licensed by the ITC.

"Author: ten-ten
Date: 07-15-03 22:51

The ITC may well be investigating freesextv as it is broadcast on friendly tv, but I very much doubt that they are checking out Babestation.

This is a quote from ITC viewer relations:

"I regret that as Game Network is not licensed by the ITC, we have no regulatory powers over it"

Anybody know what the rules are for Italian broadcasters?"

If GN do not need to be licensed why do any other channels need to be? If they set up from an overseas address surely there is no requirement.
What advantage is there for a tv company to be licensed by ITC?

Any informed comments?

[eC]

You have to be licensed if you broadcast from a UK platform.

A few European stations are licensed because their satellite uplink
to their country is broadcast out of the UK to their country.

American news channel Fox News was being broadcast on Sky Digital hence there was an ITC investigation after numerous complaints of pro-American news bias during the Iraq War (the ITC ruled this was OK and did not break its rules of news impartiality because they were American - work that one out!).

[Fanackerpants]

So, as I see it, if a foreign registered company, with offices and uplifting facilities abroad were to transmit FTA using one of the Astra 2 series satellites (viewable with a Skybox) they do not come under the jurisdiction of the ITC.
Does TCM, (and, presumably, Games Network) for example, operate under the shadow of the ITC? Although they have a listing on the EPG, which is not essential, I assume they are quite independent of BSkyB and their platform.
(Astra Satellites being an overseas company of course and not owned by Sky).
Surely the way is therefore open for more interesting material to be transmitted. If not FTA (financed by premium rate phone lines or other means perhaps), it's now quite easy to pay overseas subs by credit card, Paypal, or Nochex although advertising in the UK could be restricted.
I read somewhere else, quite recently, that start up charges to launch a satellite tv company are in the region of ?250.000, the price of a typical house in the south east. Go to it!!!!