The proposed sale of Adria News Network has immediately become the subject of a legal challenge from United Group founder Dragan Šolak and former chief executive Victoriya Boklag.

In proceedings filed in London’s Commercial Court, companies controlled by Šolak and Boklag are seeking to block the disposal of United Group’s media assets, arguing the sale breaches shareholder agreements and fundamentally changes the nature of the business.

The claim argues that United Media, which encompasses around 120 media assets, is central to United Group’s integrated telecoms-and-media strategy and that its disposal would transform the company into a predominantly telecommunications business.

Particular concern is focused on the sale of ANN, which includes N1, Nova S, Danas, Radar and other media outlets that critics regard as among the last major editorially independent news organisations in Serbia.

ANN was established earlier this year to bring together United Group’s news operations across Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia under a single independent structure.

The network reaches more than 16 million people across the region and employs over 1,000 journalists and media professionals.

Alpac Capital said the acquisition would provide ANN with a long-term platform for growth while preserving its editorial independence. The investment firm already controls pan-European news network Euronews and said it remains committed to “neutral, fact-based journalism”.

Šolak said he was “deeply concerned” by reports that BC Partners intended to sell the media assets to Alpac Capital and claimed he had neither been informed of nor consented to the transaction.

The lawsuit seeks a declaration that the disposal constitutes a material change in United Group’s business and an injunction preventing any sale from proceeding without the consent of minority shareholders.

The dispute threatens to overshadow what United Group had presented as a strategic divestment and could delay completion of the transaction while the English courts consider the challenge.

Ofcom has unveiled draft new content and accessibility rules for major streaming platforms including Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video, marking the biggest extension of UK television regulation into streaming services to date.

Under proposals published following powers granted by the Media Act, major “Tier 1” streaming services would for the first time face regulatory standards similar to those applied to traditional broadcasters.

The move would bring services including Netflix under Ofcom oversight for the first time, despite many platforms operating outside the UK.

Ofcom said the aim was to ensure audiences receive “consistent protections” regardless of whether they watch traditional television or on-demand streaming services.

Cristina Nicolotti Squires, Ofcom’s Group Director for Broadcasting and Media, said audiences increasingly expect the same standards and safeguards across all viewing platforms.

“Our proposed new content standards Code for the largest and most popular streaming services will, for the first time, deliver the clear and consistent protections that audiences need and expect,” she said.

The draft content standards code mirrors many aspects of the existing Broadcasting Code, although adapted for the on-demand environment.

The proposals include rules covering harmful and offensive material, protection of under-18s, due impartiality and due accuracy in news programming, fairness and privacy protections and restrictions around crime, disorder, hatred and abuse.

Ofcom said potentially harmful or offensive content would not be prohibited outright, but platforms would be expected to provide appropriate viewer protections, contextual justification and clear warnings.

The regulator is also proposing stricter editorial justification requirements around explicit depictions of novel or unusual suicide methods.

The new regime would also introduce enhanced safeguards for children appearing in programmes.

One significant area concerns news and current affairs content distributed via streaming platforms.

Streaming services carrying news programming would be required to comply with due impartiality and due accuracy obligations similar to those already applied to UK broadcasters, although Ofcom proposes allowing impartiality to be maintained across multiple programmes rather than within a single broadcast.

Alongside the content standards code, Ofcom has also proposed major new accessibility requirements for streaming services.

For the first time, large streaming platforms would face mandatory quotas for subtitles, audio description and signing.

Under the draft accessibility code, streaming platforms would be required to subtitle at least 80% of their catalogues, provide audio description on 10% and signing on 5%.

Poor quality accessibility features would not count towards the quotas.

The rules are designed to improve access for more than 18 million people in the UK with hearing or sight impairments.

Historically, accessibility obligations have applied primarily to traditional broadcasters rather than streaming platforms.

The Media Act defines Tier 1 services as platforms with more than 500,000 UK users, alongside the streaming services operated by ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, STV and S4C.

BBC iPlayer will remain regulated under the existing Broadcasting Code, although Ofcom proposes applying the new accessibility requirements to relevant BBC on-demand services.

The consultation runs until 7 August 2026, with final codes expected later this year.

Ofcom is also seeking evidence on how future investigations and complaints procedures for streaming services should operate under the new framework.

Ofcom says complaints about the UK’s major telecoms and pay-TV providers rose in the final quarter of 2025, the first increase since 2023.

The regulator said the rise was mainly driven by mobile complaints, following mid-contract price rise announcements by some providers, including O2.

Broadband and landline complaints fell during the quarter, while pay-TV complaints were unchanged.

Cristina Luna-Esteban, Ofcom’s director of consumers and retail markets, said it was “disappointing” to see complaints increase after a sustained period of falls, adding that Ofcom would continue to monitor the market for signs of ongoing customer dissatisfaction.

Vodafone and TalkTalk were the most complained-about broadband providers, with 11 complaints per 100,000 and 10 per 100,000 customers respectively, while Plusnet and Virgin Media generated the fewest complaints.

O2 was the most complained-about mobile provider, with customers mainly raising contract-related issues. EE, Tesco Mobile and Three generated the fewest mobile complaints.

For pay-TV, EE received the most complaints, while Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media were the least complained-about providers.

The European Broadcasting Union has expressed concern over proposals by the Czech government to change the funding model for public service media, warning that any reform must not undermine editorial independence.

In a statement, the EBU said stable, adequate and independent funding is a fundamental safeguard for both the editorial and institutional independence of public service broadcasters.

The organisation pointed to Article 5 of the European Media Freedom Act, which requires EU member states to ensure public service media have adequate, sustainable and predictable financial resources so they can fulfil their remit and adapt to social and technological change.

The EBU said any overhaul of the funding system should therefore be assessed carefully to avoid weakening broadcasters’ independence or exposing them to political influence.

It added that reforms of this scale require a transparent and inclusive consultation process, with proper regard for European standards and the long-term sustainability of the wider media ecosystem.

The EBU said it remains in close contact with its members and is ready to provide support and expertise as the situation develops.

A court in Rome has ruled that subscription price increases imposed by Netflix in Italy between 2017 and January 2024 were unlawful, opening the door to refunds of up to €500 per customer.

The decision follows a case brought by consumer group Movimento Consumatori, with the court finding that contractual clauses allowing price increases were “unfair” because they did not specify valid reasons, in breach of Italy’s Consumer Code. 

As a result, the court declared multiple price hikes introduced in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2024 invalid, and ruled that affected subscribers are entitled to reimbursement of overpayments, subscription price reductions, and potentially compensation. 

Refunds could reach around €500 for long-term Premium subscribers and approximately €250 for Standard plan users, reflecting cumulative monthly increases of €8 and €4 respectively over the period. 

The ruling also requires Netflix to notify both current and former customers of their rights, publishing the decision on its Italian website and in national newspapers.  Reports indicate the company could face penalties if it fails to comply within a set timeframe. 

In addition, subscription prices must be reduced to pre-increase levels, with Premium tiers reverting to around €11.99 and Standard to €9.99 for eligible users. 

The case could affect millions of subscribers in Italy, where Netflix had approximately 5.4 million paying customers by 2025. 

Netflix said it will appeal the ruling, stating that it “takes consumer rights very seriously” and believes its terms have complied with Italian law. 

The decision is being closely watched across Europe, with similar disputes over subscription pricing and contract transparency already emerging in other markets under EU consumer protection rules. 

UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said the government will move to place the BBC on a permanent Royal Charter, ending the current system under which the corporation’s constitutional basis must be renewed periodically.

Speaking at the Society of Editors conference in London on Tuesday, Nandy said the change was intended to “future-proof” the BBC. “So while the terms, the structures and the funding for the BBC will continue to be negotiated every several years, we should seek to end the bizarre situation where if the Charter isn’t agreed in time, the BBC ceases to exist,” she said.

The proposal marks a significant shift in the BBC charter review now under way. The current charter runs until the end of 2027, and the government opened its formal review in December 2025 through the green paper Britain’s Story: The Next Chapter, with consultation running until 10 March 2026.  

n her speech, she linked the move to the need to protect the BBC in a more polarised public climate, saying the corporation had too often become a target in wider culture-war debates.  

The move will be seen as a win for the BBC, which had itself called for a permanent charter as part of its response to the charter review. The broadcaster has argued that the 10-year renewal cycle creates instability and leaves it vulnerable to political pressure. Reports earlier this month also said the BBC wanted an end to political appointments to its board, although Nandy did not address that point directly in her speech.  

Alongside the promise of longer-term constitutional security, Nandy also signalled that the government wants stronger accountability mechanisms inside the BBC, including commissioning power moving closer to the nations and regions and reforms aimed at giving staff a stronger voice in holding leadership to account.  

At the centre of the debate are two major initiatives: the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), adopted in 2024, and the Digital Omnibus, which is still under negotiation. While the EMFA explicitly recognises independent, transparent and cross platform audience measurement as a cornerstone of a functioning media market, the Digital Omnibus aims to overhaul the technical rules governing data access and user consent.

German national TV audience measurement body AGF Videoforschung says the interaction between the two laws could have far reaching consequences. In a special meeting, the organisation’s Supervisory Board endorsed management’s assessment that the real question is not whether independent measurement remains legally permitted, but whether it will remain practically feasible.

Audience measurement plays a decisive role in determining visibility, advertising flows and the economic viability of media offerings. AGF argues that only a uniform, independent standard can ensure comparability across platforms – an essential ingredient for market transparency and assessments of media pluralism.

But the Digital Omnibus could alter the technical environment in ways that favour proprietary, first party measurement systems operated by large platforms. While the proposal does not explicitly restrict independent measurement, AGF warns that it may create unequal implementation conditions.

Industry concerns focus on the fact that those who control key technical access points – such as operating systems, browsers or login infrastructures – effectively shape the conditions under which measurement standards can be applied.

“This is not about whether measurement is permitted. It is about the conditions under which an independent standard can realistically operate. If implementation conditions become asymmetric, market architecture shifts – not through prohibition, but through practical feasibility,” said Kerstin Niederauer‑Kopf, CEO of AGF.

AGF argues that comparable audience data is not merely a commercial concern but a democratic one. If proprietary measurement systems proliferate, the market could splinter into parallel data realities, undermining the ability to assess media pluralism and distorting competition.

“Comparability becomes relative,” the organisation warns, “and with it the basis for fair competition.”

The organisation is urging EU policymakers to ensure that the EMFA’s recognition of independent measurement is not undermined by technical rules introduced through the Digital Omnibus. Data protection and independent measurement, AGF argues, should not be treated as competing objectives.

AGF’s Supervisory Board – which includes representatives from broadcasters, marketers and the industry associations OWM and Die Mediaagenturen – has formally backed this position.

Following negotiations between the federal government and the CDU/CSU and SPD parliamentary groups, the parties have backed draft legislation that would introduce a minimum investment quota of 8% of annual net turnover for providers operating on the German market. The agreement would also unlock additional federal funding for film support, raising annual spending on economic film funding to €250 million once the law is passed.

Culture minister Wolfram Weimer said the planned legislation would set out a statutory minimum investment level alongside detailed rules on how the investments must be structured. An opening clause would allow companies that voluntarily invest more than 12% of their turnover to deviate from some of those requirements. According to Weimer, the framework is intended to provide planning certainty for the industry while avoiding direct interference in the business models of streamers and broadcasters.

Finance minister Lars Klingbeil said the proposed investment obligation would mobilise private capital in addition to public subsidies, which he described as insufficient on their own to strengthen Germany as a production location. The measures are designed to support employment across studios, technical services and creative professions and to attract national and international productions.

If adopted by the Parliament, the rules would apply to all major providers active in Germany, including global streaming services as well as commercial and public broadcasters. For reasons of EU law, the government can mandate investment only in European productions rather than exclusively in German content, although policymakers expect the domestic industry to benefit disproportionately.

Producers welcomed the coalition agreement. Industry association Produktionsallianz described it as a breakthrough that would allow €120 million in previously blocked federal funds to be released. Board spokesperson Michelle Müntefering said the combination of a statutory minimum and an opening clause for further negotiations created stability while leaving room for future adjustments.

Interest groups representing platforms and broadcasters, however, voiced strong reservations. Industry association VAUNET criticised the planned statutory investment obligation, saying it ignored voluntary commitments by streaming platforms and replaced a flexible solution with rigid regulation. The group warned that an investment quota above the European average, combined with sub-quotas and rights-sharing requirements, raised unresolved constitutional and EU law concerns, and said the framework should be implemented with restraint to minimise negative consequences. Sustainable incentives such as tax credits would be a more effective way to encourage investment, according to the VAUNET.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has urged stronger safeguards for public service media in Poland as Warsaw consults on implementing the European Media Freedom Act.

In its submission to the Polish consultation, the EBU welcomed the “transparent approach” but raised concerns about proposals to fix public media funding at PLN 2.5 billion (€590 million) a year for 10 years, arguing the approach would not keep pace with inflation, rising production costs, or investment needs linked to digital transformation. 

The EU’s European Media Freedom Act sets common rules to protect media freedom and pluralism across the bloc, including safeguards for editorial independence, public service media and media market transparency.

“Strong democracies depend on well-funded, independent public service media,” said Jenny Weinand, Head of Media Law at the EBU, calling for long-term funding to be matched with guarantees of independent governance at TVP and Polskie Radio. 

The EBU also cautioned that overly prescriptive reporting obligations or mandatory consultation requirements on day-to-day operations could reduce flexibility for broadcasters as audiences shift to on-demand and online formats. 

On governance, it backed reforms intended to strengthen the independence of Poland’s regulator, the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT), including clearer rules on appointments and dismissals and more transparent recruitment for management roles. 

The EBU said it will continue monitoring the process, warning that reforms must deliver concrete protections for editorial independence and sustainable funding in line with the EMFA’s aims to bolster media pluralism and independence across the EU.

In a statement responding to the proposal, published this week by the European Commission, the EBU said the draft legislation preserves essential safeguards for media, including access to services, must-carry rules and net-neutrality principles. These elements are seen as crucial to ensuring that public service media remain easy to find and accessible across platforms and devices.

However, the EBU criticised the lack of stronger provisions to secure terrestrial broadcast radio in all vehicles. While the proposal maintains digital radio access in passenger car receivers, it does not extend mandatory radio availability to all vehicle categories. The EBU argues that this limits radio’s ability to act as a universal information channel in emergencies.

“The Digital Networks Act proposal retains essential safeguards for the media sector. This shows that the EU understands the crucial role that the media plays in European democracies,” said Vincent Sneed, Senior EU Policy Adviser at the EBU. “We regret that crucial access to radio has not been expanded to ensure terrestrial broadcast radio presence and access in all vehicles, as radio is a lifeline in times of crisis.”

Beyond in-vehicle access, the EBU also expressed concern over provisions related to network access fees. Although the proposal reduces the idea of mandatory network fees for online content delivery to a voluntary conciliation mechanism, the organisation warned that compulsory payments or negotiations for IP interconnection could disproportionately affect public service media and restrict audience access to general-interest content.

The EBU welcomed the proposal’s recognition of national competence over broadcast spectrum management, but stressed that safeguarding radio distribution remains critical. According to the EBU, terrestrial radio has repeatedly proven its resilience when other communication networks fail, making it indispensable during natural disasters, blackouts and conflicts.