(A.) Policy and legislation
(A.1) Policy objectives
The European Media Freedom Act was adopted in April 2024 and entered into force the following month. The Act puts in place a new set of rules to protect media pluralism and independence in the EU, in addition to enhancing free movement of services. It introduces, among other things, a new right to customise the media offering on devices and interfaces. This means that users will be able to change the relevant configuration, including default settings, and adapt them to their own preferences.
More specifically, Article 20(1) of the Act provides that: ‘[u]sers shall have a right to easily change the configuration, including default settings, of any device or user interface controlling or managing access to and the use of media services providing programmes in order to customise the media offering in accordance with their interests or preferences in compliance with Union law’.
The objective of the provision is to enable recipients of media services providing programmes to effectively choose the content they want to watch or listen to according to their preferences without being constrained by certain commercial practices in the media sector. It contributes to ensuring a level playing field in the provision of diverse media services providing programmes in the face of technological developments in the internal market and fair access to media services in all their diversity.
Article 20(5) of the Act lays down an action for the newly created European Board for Media Services – composed of representatives of national regulatory authorities or bodies - to foster cooperation between media service providers, standardisation bodies or any other relevant stakeholders to promote the development of harmonised standards in this field. The activity of fostering cooperation also covers digital signals carried by devices which control or manage access to and the use of media services providing programmes.
The activity is motivated by the fact that the development of standards would help to avoid diverging technical standards creating barriers and additional costs for the industry and consumers. The activity could facilitate access to European media services on connected devices and user interfaces and it would also encourage the development of solutions to implement obligations concerning media services laid down in the European Media Freedom Act. Even though the rules in Article 20 will only apply from May 2027, it is important to initiate early exchanges to provide sufficient legal certainty to relevant stakeholders, including manufacturers, developers and importers of the devices and user interfaces concerned.
(A.2) EC perspective and progress report
In view of the policy objectives outlined above, the intention is to foster cooperation with relevant players regarding the development of the aforementioned standards.
(A.3) References
(B.) Requested actions
Action 1: Increased cooperation between media service providers, standardisation bodies and other relevant stakeholders to identify best practices, standardisation priorities and the development of harmonised standards related to the design of devices or user interfaces within the meaning of Article 20(1) of the European Media Freedom Act.
Action 2: Increased cooperation between media service providers, standardisation bodies and other relevant stakeholders to identify best practices, standardisation priorities and the development of harmonised standards related to the digital signals carried by devices referred to in Article 20(1) of the European Media Freedom Act.
(C.) Activities and additional information
(C.1) Related standardisation activities
ISO/IEC JTC1
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC35 has developed and approved standards related to media accessibility, namely on:
- Audio description: ISO/IEC TS 20071:21:2015.
- Audio subtitling: ISO/IEC TS 200071-25:2017.
- Subtitling/captioning: ISO/IEC 20071:23:2018
- Easy-to-understand language: ISO/IEC 23859:2023
It is currently working on a standard on sign language: ISO/IEC AWI 20071-24
ITU-R
ITU-R Study Group (SG) 6 conducts studies and develops ITU-R Recommendations and Reports related to the radiocommunication broadcasting service, including vision, sound, multimedia and data services principally intended for delivery to the general public and for the international exchange of programmes.
During the 2019-2023 study period, ITU-R SG 6 updated and approved the following relevant publications (non-exhaustive):
- Recommendation ITU-R BS.1352 on “File format for the exchange of audio programme materials with metadata on information technology media”
- Recommendation ITU-R BS.1770 on “Algorithms to measure audio programme loudness and true-peak audio level”
- Recommendation ITU-R BS.1864 on “Operational practices for loudness in the international exchange of digital television programmes”
- Recommendation ITU-R BS.2051 on “Advanced sound system for programme production”
- Recommendation ITU-R BS.2125 on “A serial representation of the Audio Definition Model”
- Recommendation ITU-R BS.2143 on “Transport method for non-Pulse-Code Modulation audio signals and data over digital audio interfaces for programme production and exchange”
- Recommendation ITU-R BT.500 on “Methodologies for the subjective assessment of the quality of television images”
- Recommendation ITU-R BT.1203 on “User requirements for generic video bit-rate reduction coding of digital TV signals for an end-to-end television system”
- Recommendation ITU-R BT.1775 on “File format with editing capability, for the exchange of metadata, audio, video, data essence and ancillary data for use in broadcasting”
- Recommendation ITU-R 2073 on “Use of the high efficiency video coding for UHDTV and HDTV broadcasting applications”
- Recommendation ITU-R 2075 on “Integrated broadcast-broadband system”
- Recommendation ITU-R 2077 on “Real-time serial digital interfaces for UHDTV signals”
- Recommendation ITU-R BT.2137 on “Technologies applicable to Internet Protocol interfaces for programme production”
- Recommendation ITU-R BT.2144 on “Guidance for the introduction of new DTTB systems, technologies and applications in the broadcasting service”
- Recommendation ITU-R BT.2153 on “The use of componentized workflows for the exchange of non-live television programmes”
- Recommendation ITU-R BT.2154 on “High-level system architecture for immersive video for presentation on various types of display devices”
- Recommendation ITU-R BT.1833 on “Broadcasting of multimedia and data applications for mobile reception by handheld receivers”.
- Recommendation ITU-R BT.2016 on “Error-correction, data framing, modulation and emission methods for terrestrial multimedia broadcasting for mobile reception using handheld receivers in VHF/UHF bands”
In 2023, ITU-R SG 5 also developed Report ITU-R M.2528 on “Capabilities of the terrestrial component of IMT-2020 for multimedia communications”. This Report addresses the capabilities of IMT-2020 to distribute multimedia content such as video, audio, text and graphics, including support for real-time multimedia interactive applications. This Report also addresses the capabilities of IMT-2020 user devices and base stations to support such multimedia communications with low latency and wide transmission bandwidth. This new Report complements Report ITU-R M.2373 on “Audio-visual capabilities and applications supported by terrestrial IMT systems”, which addresses the capabilities of IMT systems for delivering audio-visual services to the consumers and also covers some aspects of production of audio-visual content.
ITU-T
ITU has worked on media accessibility within the ITU-T SG16, Q26/16, and especially within te IRG-AVA Intersector Rapporteur Group Audiovisual Media Accessibilty: https://www.itu.int/en/irg/ava/Pages/default.aspx
More information: https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/accessibility/Pages/default.aspx
W3C
Real-time communications
- WebRTC: Real-Time Communication in Browsers (Recommendation)
WebRTC defines a set of ECMAScript APIs in WebIDL to allow media to be sent to and received from another browser or device implementing the appropriate set of real-time protocols. This specification is being developed in conjunction with a protocol specification developed by the IETF RTCWEB group and an API specification to get access to local media devices.
https://www.w3.org/TR/webrtc/ - Media Capture and Streams (Candidate Recommendation)
Media Capture and Streams defines a set of APIs that allow local media, including audio and video, to be requested from a platform, media to be sent over the network to another browser or device implementing the appropriate set of real-time protocols, and media received from another browser or device to be processed and displayed locally.
https://www.w3.org/TR/mediacapture-streams/
Integration with system capabilities
- Media Capabilities (Working Draft)
Media Capabilities intends to provide APIs to allow websites to make an optimal decision when picking media content for the user. The APIs will expose information about the decoding and encoding capabilities for a given format but also output capabilities to find the best match based on the device’s display.
https://www.w3.org/TR/media-capabilities/ - Media Session (Working Draft)
Media Session enables web developers to show customized media metadata on platform UI, customize available platform media controls, and access platform media keys such as hardware keys found on keyboards, headsets, remote controls, and software keys found in notification areas and on lock screens of mobile devices.
https://www.w3.org/TR/mediasession/ - Picture-in-Picture (Working Draft)
Picture-in-Picture intends to provide APIs to allow websites to create a floating video window always on top of other windows so that users may continue consuming media while they interact with other content sites, or applications on their device.
https://www.w3.org/TR/picture-in-picture/
(C.2) Other activities related to standardisation
ITU-R
Resolution ITU-R 60 (Reduction of energy consumption for environmental protection and mitigating climate change by use of ICT/radiocommunication technologies and systems) resolves “that ITU-R Study Groups should develop Recommendations, Reports or Handbooks on best practices in place to reduce energy consumption within ICT systems, equipment or applications operating in a radiocommunication service” and “possible development and use of radio systems or applications which can support reduction of energy consumption in non-radiocommunication sectors”.
Question ITU-R 147/6 on “Energy Aware Broadcasting Systems” was approved by ITU-R SG 6 in May 2022. ITU-R SG 6 has published several related documents:
- Report ITU-R BT.2385 on “Reducing the environmental impact of terrestrial broadcasting systems”
- Report ITU-R BT.2521 on “Practical examples of actions to realize energy aware broadcasting”
- Report ITU-R BT.2540 on “Display energy reduction through image signal processing”
(C.3) Additional information
In 2023, ITU-R SG 6 had the honour to win the Engineering, Science and Technology Emmy Award for the development of a radiocommunication standard for High Dynamic Range Television (HDR-TV). This award exemplifies successful public-private sector collaboration to enhance the quality and accessibility of digital technologies.