OK, just done a bit more digging.
Quote:Section 177 of the Broadcasting Act
Under Section 177 of the Broadcasting Act 1990 the ITC can recommend to the Secretary of State for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport that a foreign channel be made the subject of a proscription order if it is satisfied the channel repeatedly offends against good taste and decency. A proscription order makes it a criminal offence in the UK to sell smartcards and decoders or subscriptions, to publish programme information or to advertise the service.
OfCom have the power to stop UK citizens having access to these channels on the grounds of nothing more then 'offending good taste and decency'. They don't even need to prove that harm may be caused by the broadcasts. How can they wack the babe channels with the fine stick for offending good taste and decency, when they do nothing about foreign broadcasters advertising, selling smartcards and listing program information in the UK for hardcore pornography channels?*
Maybe because of this...
Quote:Television without Frontiers
The EC Broadcasting Directive (Television without frontiers), as part of the objective of establishing a single market in television, imposes obstacles on the UK taking action against television channels from other European countries. It permits restrictions on channels originating in other member States only in exceptional circumstances. The only kind of programme service which, subject to other conditions, can qualify for such restrictions is one which grossly and manifestly infringes the provisions of the Directive relating to the protection of children.
So, to get the European courts to ban a foreign broadcaster (or for them to even prosecute the broadcasters in the UK), they have to prove that the broadcasts are harmful to children. In fact, not just harmful, but 'grossly and manifestly' harmful.
Since the UK courts have already ruled that pornography is NOT harmful to children, it's easy to see why they have been so ineffective at stopping European Broadcasts.
And that's from an ITC document direct from OfComs website.
What it hilights more than anything else though, is the contradiction between UK legislation and the European directive. This contradiction is not much comfort to anyone prosecuted under the UK regulations though, as they would have to drag the whole case through the European courts to get any convictions quashed.
*Just one example...
http://uk-tv-guide.com/list/Private+Spice
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OfCom = total fail