New licensing scheme for news websites that reach 50,000 peo

[Scion]

hmmm.... are you thinking what i'm thinking?

 

 

New licensing scheme for news websites that reach 50,000 people a month

 

By Tessa Wong

The Straits Times

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

 

SINGAPORE - From June 1, websites that regularly report Singapore news and have significant reach will require individual licenses to operate.

 

 

Get the full story from The Straits Times.

 

Here is the full press release from the Media Development Authority (MDA):

 

From 1 June 2013, online news sites that report regularly on issues relating to Singapore and have significant reach among readers here will require an individual licence from the Media Development Authority (MDA). This will place them on a more consistent regulatory framework with traditional news platforms which are already individually licensed.

 

Under the licensing framework, online news sites will be individually licensed if they (i) report an average of at least one article per week on Singapore's news and current affairs 1 over a period of two months, and (ii) are visited by at least 50,000 unique IP addresses from Singapore each month over a period of two months.

 

Currently, these sites are automatically class-licensed under the Broadcasting Act. When MDA has assessed that a site has met the criteria to be individually licensed, MDA will issue a formal notification and work with the site to move it to the new licensing framework.

 

The new Licence provides greater clarity on prevailing requirements within the Class Licence and Internet Code of Practice, and explains what MDA would consider "prohibited content" in the existing Internet Code of Practice, e.g. content that undermines racial or religious harmony. As the sites are already subject to these requirements, no change in content standards is expected to result. The Licence also makes it clear that online news sites are expected to comply within 24 hours to MDA's directions to remove content that is found to be in breach of content standards.

 

The only other additional requirement is that online news sites are required to put up a performance bond like all other individually-licensed broadcasters, and the sum of $50,000 is consistent with that required of niche TV broadcasters.

 

These updates in the licensing framework are part of MDA's efforts to periodically review all policies, to ensure they are in line with industry and consumer developments.

 

"Singapore news programme" is any programme (whether or not the programme is presenter-based and whether or not the programme is provided by a third party) containing any news, intelligence, report of occurrence, or any matter of public interest, about any social, economic, political, cultural, artistic, sporting, scientific or any other aspect of Singapore in any language (whether paid or free and whether at regular interval or otherwise) but does not include any programme produced by or on behalf of the Government.

 

List of Online News Sites which Require Individual Licence:

 

asiaone.com

businesstimes.com.sg

omy.sg

stomp.com.sg

straitstimes.com

tnp.sg

zaobao.com

todayonline.com

channelnewsasia.com

sg.news.yahoo.com

[Lamemonster]

Ya..... So pls dont anyhow post comment . Its a way to silence us..

 

Lol !

[Linlaopei]

bo google lei

[Lurpsexx]

How extensive is the definition of "News Sites"?

 

As usual, the greyness of this definition will be an open door for violation of the First Amendment....

 

++++ Oppps! We're not US of A hor??

 

So if a popular blog reproduces official news, then will it be classified as a news site? Will MCF be a news site ???

 

 

[Wt_know]

Yahoo News .... likely kena ...

Edited May 28, 2013 by Wt_know

[RadX]

MCF not in list lah

 

 

SINGAPORE: Online news sites which report regularly on Singapore and have significant reach will be required to have an individual licence, with effect from June 1.

 

What this means is that such sites will move away from the current class licence regime.

 

The Media Development Authority (MDA) said the move aims to place online news sites on a more consistent regulatory framework with that of traditional news platforms, which are already individually licensed.

 

Only online news sites which fulfil two specific criteria will be subjected to individual licensing.

 

1) That the sites report an average of at least one article per week on Singapore news and current affairs over a period of two months.

 

2) They must also have been visited by at least 50,000 unique IP addresses from Singapore each month, over the same period.

 

So far, 10 such sites have been identified. They are :

 

asiaone.com

businesstimes.com.sg

channelnewsasia.com

omy.sg

sg.news.yahoo.com

stomp.com.sg

straitstimes.com

Tnp.sg

todayonline.com

zaobao.com

 

MDA said the new licence will provide greater clarity on what constitutes "prohibited content". These may include content which solicit for prostitution, undermine racial and religious harmony or go against good taste.

 

For example, images of two brothers involved in a recent accident in Tampines -- which were widely circulated online -- would have been considered as going against good taste.

 

MDA said it does not expect a change in content standards with the new licensing regime -- that's because the identified sites are already meeting requirements of prohibited content under the Internet Code of Practice.

 

The additional requirement will see licensees putting up a performance bond of S$50,000.

 

They will also have to comply with any take-down notice from authorities within 24 hours.

 

This is different from the current class licence regime where no time-frame is specified.

 

It is understood that MDA is evaluating more sites.

 

More Singaporeans, aged 15 and above, are accessing the Internet for news and current affairs.

 

Statistics from Nielson Media Index showed that there was nearly a 6 per cent increase in 2012, compared to 2011.

 

- CNA/al

[Hamburger]

Lets welcome the freedom of speech with open arms. ..

[Blackyv]

So, are we going to drop further?....160 is their aim?....

[Benarsenal]

You all sooner or later also will kena.

[Chrispie]

MCF never kena.. cos it's all the same people coming in everytime, not 50k unique addresses...

[WTF]

seems to me only one of the sites is targeted 'cos the rest is somehow linked to the garment???

Edited May 29, 2013 by WTF

[JustGoodTrades]

Out of the 10:

asiaone.com

businesstimes.com.sg

channelnewsasia.com

omy.sg

sg.news.yahoo.com

stomp.com.sg

straitstimes.com

Tnp.sg

todayonline.com

zaobao.com

 

Very obvious lah. Let's play "spot the difference"....

[Jman888]

it target at news broadcast, MCF is not cos it is not the source.

[Mustank]

haha yahoo tio

the rest is ah gong brand

but how come all the anti pap website boh tio you know like simi tremeuritus lah, real singapore lah, edmw, sammyboy lah

[Lurpsexx]

haha yahoo tio

the rest is ah gong brand

but how come all the anti pap website boh tio you know like simi tremeuritus lah, real singapore lah, edmw, sammyboy lah

 

How are THEY going to enforce this licensing esp if the websites are hosted overseas and the web master is overseas too?? Ban the HTML?? Lol... Sammy heng ah!

 

Talk only, can't enforce = TOTAL ZERO! 000000000000000000000000000000000000 !!

[Rncw]

i think this is to lay the foundation, and then further extend to other sites that has huge followings

[Mustank]

How are THEY going to enforce this licensing esp if the websites are hosted overseas and the web master is overseas too?? Ban the HTML?? Lol... Sammy heng ah!

 

Talk only, can't enforce = TOTAL ZERO! 000000000000000000000000000000000000 !!

 

 

maybe action action only lah

you see geylang there so crazy, mata come and sweep clean clean, next day dirty again, no use one

the orchard tower also one kind one

[Darryn]

The big big one that seems to be missing from the list is TOC -

 

How can they not have 50k visitors per month?

 

Then also, how about the likes of Bernama, Bloomberg, Factiva etc etc?

 

Yep - and also, carmart and HWZ seem to be missing

 

This is purely insane -

 

I am also curious how they are going to enforce...