67. Calls on the Member States to tighten their controls over the content of television programmes shown at a time when the number of child viewers is at its highest and to aid parental control by providing adequate, homogenous information about television programmes; emphasises that information technology gives further possibilities for children to access television programmes at any time, from any computer with an Internet connection; points out that greater consideration is needed to review the mass media's unrestricted right of ...[+++]access to children and the right of the child to access the mass media without restriction;

67. Calls on the Member States to tighten their controls over the content of television programmes shown at a time when the number of child viewers is at its highest and to aid parental control by providing adequate, homogenous information about television programmes; emphasises that information technology gives further possibilities for children to access television programmes at any time, from any computer with an Internet connection; points out that greater consideration is needed to review the mass media's unrestricted right of ...[+++]access to children and the right of the child to access the mass media without restriction;

While traditional TV provided access to TV programmes distributed in a so-called ‘push’ mode, in which users could only choose from a list of available programmes, with interactive TV viewers become ‘actors’, thanks to ICT services and tools.

5. Regrets that some Member States have still not provided all the relevant information, particularly as regards satellite and/or cable TV channels, which are often omitted from national reports; considers that the Commission has a responsibility to ensure that the Member States comply with their obligations and that it should do more than merely stress that the notification requirement applies to all television programmes under the jurisdiction of a Member State; and calls on the Commission and the competent national authorities to impose clear sanctions in the event of persistent failure to comply with the relevant provisions or with ...[+++] the obligation to supply information;

In relation to wide-screen digital television, the 16:9 aspect ratio is the reference format for wide-format television services and programmes, and is now established in Member States' markets as a result of Council Decision 93/424/EEC of 22 July 1993 on an action plan for the introduction of advanced television services in Europe(7).

In this regard, the Commission would point out that the obligation under Article 4.3 of the "Television without Frontiers" Directive applies to each of the television programmes falling within the jurisdiction of the Member State concerned, irrespective of the means of transmission (terrestrial, satellite, cable - analogue and/or digital).