Brexit: UK broadcasters need certainty

The Commercial Broadcasters Association (COBA), the UK’s industry body for multichannel broadcasters, has warned that broadcasters need certainty well before the ‘cliff edge’ of the end of negotiations.

COBA executive director Adam Minns told IBC365: “There is currently no-deal and we are completely up in the air like the entire UK. If we negotiate or crash out at the end of March nothing has been agreed and we might end up with no deal.”

He added: “If there was a deal to maintain the status quo the UK would likely be able to plug the damage that has been done,” said Minns. However, Minns said that was unlikely and the industry is not expecting the status quo to be maintained.

EU rules stipulate a broadcaster with a valid licence in Europe must have a significant part of its workforce in the country where it is licensed and make editorial decisions at its base.

As such, broadcasters could not simply…