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Technology, Media Zone sets up panel on content

The Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone has set up the Broadcasting and Publication Standards Tribunal, which would give its findings on the appropriateness of media content that might be put out by companies based in the free zone.

Submission of content to the Tribunal on the part of the media companies is strictly voluntary, the free zone officials said.The scope of the Tribunal's operations will initially cover the publishing and broadcasting sectors, though consideration will be given to widening the Tribunal's role to include all possible media formats, including on-line content, according to a top official with the free zone. To enhance the independence of the Tribunal, its management has been handed over to London-based Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, which, in turn, has set up a two-member panel featuring two leading international lawyers with expertise in media-related issues - Sir Brian Neill and Jonathan Caplan.

They will be assisted by a five-member panel of UAE based lawyers - Essam Al Tamimi, Dr. Habib Al Mulla, Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Ziad Galadari and Abdulla Rashid Hilal.

The Tribunal's mandate extends to two basic procedures - 'future' and 'past' applications.

The first comes into effect when a free zone based entity has doubts over the appropriateness of the media content that it wishes to put out. In such a case, they can approach the Tribunal for its reading of the situation. The process of submission of content is purely voluntary on the part of the media company.

The second - past application - is when the free zone has concerns about a certain content put out by one of its client companies, and wishes to seek the Tribunal's help in "determining" that it is so appropriate or otherwise."

The Tribunal is not a legal entity, nor does it seek to be a censorship body. The Free Zone has no direct say in the running or management of the body, and is bound by the findings of it," said Ahmed bin Byat, director-general of Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone.

The Tribunal's adjudications are based on the regulations and 'Codes of Guidance' authored by the Free Zone, based on best practices available internationally. The Code has two components - one on 'Fairness and Privacy' and the other on 'Standards'. The Code on Fairness and Privacy is particularly aimed at broadcasters.

"We believe that what has been achieved with the Broadcasting and Publication Standards Tribunal can form the basis for similar initiatives by the other free zones" said Gerard Hobby, chief legal officer at the Free Zone.

"It took two years to come up with the basic structure of the Tribunal and how it will operate. We have ensured that the Tribunal's determining of issues brought before it will be speedy, and in some cases can be done within a day." The "ad-hoc" body will not have regular sittings or a base of its own, but will come together on an "as and when required" basis.

SCOPE

Publishing and broadcasting firmsThe scope of the Tribunal's operations will initially cover the publishing and broadcasting sectors, though consideration will be given to widening the Tribunal's role to include all possible media formats, including on-line content, according to a top official with the free zone.

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Technology, Media Zone sets up panel on content

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