Association of Commercial Television in Europe

The ACT was set up in 1989. Back then, there were fewer than 100 broadcasters in the twelve member states of the European Community. With the occasional exception, most European countries had only ended the state monopoly of television broadcasting in the mid-1980s. Back then, the ACT had five founder members. As commercial television models proved popular with viewers, so many new channels were launched and ACT membership grew quickly. However, some of the key regulatory issues were already becoming apparent, with European rules adopted in 1989 for the first time on transfrontier television, advertising, programme quotas, and then separate rules negotiated for copyright in the early 1990s.

The ACT's role is to protect and to promote the interests of the European private broadcasters. ACT engages with the European Union's institutions to achieve a balanced and appropriate regulatory framework which will encourage further investment and growth in the audiovisual sector. This will allow the commercial audiovisual industry to continue to get high-quality content to viewers. In more detail, ACT monitors policy developments at European level and provides its members with regulatory expertise. ACT also engages with European decision makers and engages in a constant dialogue while providing them with the first-hand expertise about the audiovisual sector. Furthermore, ACT is a leading platform for its members to network and exchange ideas about latest policy developments and best practices. Last but not least, ACT represents the industry at external public events, institutional working groups, European and international organisations.

The ACT promotes and advocates the interests of its member companies in a wide range of media policy issues at European level. ACT activities aim at a balanced and appropriate regulatory framework which will encourage further investment and growth in the audiovisual sector. ACT responds to relevant consultations, inquiries and maintains dialogue with the European institutions. Current key policy issues are the following:

• Audiovisual media services
• Digital Services Act
• Portability
• Copyright package
• Democracy Action Plan
• Audiovisual and Media Action Plan
• e-Privacy
• Intellectual property rights
• Territoriality
• Platform-to-Business
• Artificial Intelligence

Gruppo Mediaset, Canal+ Group, Sky, RTL Group, itv, Mediaset España, tvi, Antenna Group, Sanoma, NBCUniversal, Discovery, TV4 Media, Nordic Entertainment Group, Viacom/CBS, CME, AMC Networks International, The Walt Disney Company, DPG Media, ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, Virgin Media Ireland, Atresmedia, A+E Networks, beIN SPORTS, United Media, SBS, Lagardère Active, TF1, NTV, LNK.

• Guillaume de Posch, President, Member of the Board of Directors, RTL Group
• Christophe Roy, Chairman, Director of European Affairs, Canal+ Group
• Julia Smetana, Head of European regulatory affairs, Nordic Entertainment Group
• Melanie Amilhat, Director Government Relations Europe, Viacom/CBS
• Carolina Lorenzon, Director International Affairs, Mediaset
• Vincent de Dorlodot, Senior Vice President European Affairs, Head of Brussels Liaison Office (Bertelsmann) RTL Group SA
• Daniel Friedlander, Head of the EU office, Sky plc
• Lorraine Choquart, Senior Legal Counsel, Bein Sports
• Joanna O'Sullivan, Head of Media Policy and Regulatory Affairs, ITV plc
• Mario Rodríguez Valderas, Director General Corporativo, Mediaset España
• Jean-Michel Counillon, General Counsel, TF1 Group

• Grégoire Polad, Director General
• Małgorzata Szczodrowska, Director of Legal and Public Affairs
• Paola Colasanti, Head of information
• Alison Leonard, Office Manager
• Miruna Herovanu, Senior EU Policy Officer
• Erard Gilles, Senior EU Policy Officer
• Dr. Mónika Magyar , Senior Legal Advisor – Independent contractor via Dr. Magyar Mónika Ügyvédi Iroda