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For the attention of TV licensees (excluding Channel 3, Channel 4 and Channel 5)

Ofcom has now begun its annual collection of financial and output data through the Transmission and Revenue return (T&R) and Television Without Frontiers (TWF) return. We use this information to calculate licence fees, ensure compliance with European legislation and monitor the industry. It also help us to fulfil our statutory requirement to publish an Annual Statistical Review of the broadcast sector.

This page includes a the link to the Market Intelligence Database (MID) through which we ask that licensees submit their data. By now you should have received a MID password by email and a MID user name in the post with which you can log on to the system.

Please submit your data by 31 March 2008. If you need help completing your submissions, downloadable guidance notes are available at the bottom of this page, along with a manual explaning how to use MID.

Please note that we require submission of separate sets of data for each licence held by your organisation.

RSL licensees are not required to complete the TWF return but they must complete the Transmission & Revenue return.

All digital-only (television and interactive) channels should complete both returns. Please refer to the guidance notes for information about channels which may be exempt from the requirements of the TWF Directive.

We hope that this will be the only general data request we make in 2008, with the exception of data on subtitling, signing and audio description which is required from certain digital-only licensees under the statutory requirements for TV Access Services. These data, relating to 2008 transmissions, will continue to be collected quarterly - as last year - and separate notifications will be sent out each quarter.

If you have any questions about this process, please contact the MID Administrator on 020 7981 3798 or get in touch by email on mid@ofcom.org.uk.

Licensees are "required to furnish to Ofcom in such a manner and at such times as Ofcom may reasonably require such documents, accounts, returns, estimates, reports, notices or other information as Ofcom may require for the purpose of exercising the functions assigned to it by or under the 1990 Act, the 1996 Act or the Communications Act."

As this is one of your licence conditions, failure to provide the data requested in a timely fashion could result in a fine or other sanctions being imposed, including revocation of your licence.

• Data Collection Guidance Notes: Digital-only (television and interactive) channels and Restricted Service Licensees [pdf]
• Market Intelligence Database user manual [pdf]
• Link to the Market Intelligence Database

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