The broadcast regulator has put licence holders on notice they could face a statutory sanction for failing to pay their dues.
- Ayozat and EarthxTV found in breach of Ofcom licence conditions.
Channels that vanished from the Sky EPG in the past year are now caught up in Ofcom action against broadcasters who either haven’t paid their annual fees to the regulator or provided statutory data required from them.
Ofcom has this week outed broadcasters including Ayozat TV (Information TV Limited), which left Sky in October and EarthxTV (Earth Day Texas Inc), which left Sky and Freeview at the beginning of June 2024.
According to Ofcom, Ayozat failed to pay its fees in 2024 and Earth Day Texas Inc did not provide Ofcom with Equality and Diversity information required from licence holders as a result of the Communications Act 2003.
The operators of EarthxTV were already in trouble with Ofcom for failing to pay its 2023 annual fees to the regulator.
Technically, both channels face the imposition of a statutory sanction from Ofcom. However, as both services are no longer broadcasting on platforms regulated by Ofcom, it’s unclear what impact a statutory sanction would have.
Other broadcasters named and shamed by the regulator for failing to pay include Vision TV (which previously provided a range of streaming services) plus community stations Awaaz FM and Halton Community Radio.
By: Marc Thornham | Image: Ofcom