Article 21 of the Saudi Audiovisual Media Law
المادة 21 من نظام الإعلام المرئي والمسموع
If a broadcasting or rebroadcasting license is canceled, suspended or not renewed, the Authority must take what is necessary to prevent harm to workers' interests and preserve their rights.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
في حال إلغاء الترخيص الخاص بمجال البث أو إعادة البث، أو تعليقه، أو عدم تجديده؛ فتتخذ الهيئة ما يلزم لضمان عدم الإضرار بمصالح العاملين وحفظ حقوقهم وفقاً للقواعد والإجراءات التي تحددها اللائحة.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 21 explained in plain English
This article protects the workers in broadcasting bodies when the body's license faces something that threatens its continuity.
The cases: the article applies to a broadcasting or rebroadcasting license in three cases:
- Cancellation of the license.
- Its suspension.
- Its non-renewal.
The duty: the Authority takes what is necessary to ensure:
- No harm to workers' interests.
- Preservation of their rights.
This is in accordance with the rules and procedures the regulations set.
Note that the duty falls on the Authority itself, which is the one to act to protect workers. But the article does not specify the nature of these measures or detail the rights meant, and refers that to the regulations. So specific measures should not be assumed without referring to them.
The article takes into account that cancellation of a license may be a penalty on the body under Article 17, and its suspension may be a precautionary measure by the Authority under paragraph 2 of Article 18. Workers are not at fault in that, so the text comes to protect them.
This article does not cancel workers' rights provided in other laws. A worker at a broadcasting body whose license was canceled or suspended and who wants to know their rights can consult a lawyer who specializes in labor matters, in addition to what the Authority does under the regulations.
Practical example
The license of a private radio station in Riyadh was canceled because of repeated violations, and it has 30 employees. The Authority must take what is necessary to prevent harm to their interests and preserve their rights, under the rules and procedures set by the regulations.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 21 of the Saudi Audiovisual Media Law
What happens to employees if a channel's license is canceled?
The Authority must take what is necessary to prevent harm to workers' interests and preserve their rights, under the rules and procedures set by the regulations.
Does the article apply when a license is not renewed?
Yes. The article covers cancellation, suspension and non-renewal of broadcasting or rebroadcasting licenses.
More articles on Frequencies, Competition and Beneficiaries' Rights
- Article 11
Before granting a broadcasting license that uses frequencies, the Communications and Information Technology Commission's frequency requirements must be met, and the Authority updates broadcasting equipment specifications and approves their import and clearance.
1- يشترط قبل منح ترخيص البث الذي تستخدم فيه الترددات -وفقاً لأحكام النظام ولائحته- استيفاء المتطلبات المتعلقة بتخصيص الترددات وترخيصها من هيئة الاتصالات وتقنية
- Article 12
The Authority protects the rights of beneficiaries and licensees and settles their disputes, unless one party is a telecommunications service provider, in which case the Communications and Information Technology Commission is competent.
1- تتولى الهيئة توفير الحماية لحقوق المستفيدين والمرخص لهم؛ وفقاً لضوابط تحددها اللائحة. 2- تعمل الهيئة على تسوية الخلافات بين المرخص لهم، أو بينهم وبين المستفي
- Article 14
Licensees may not harm the broadcasting, rebroadcasting or media production market, subject to the Competition Law, and encrypting content of national occasions that the Authority specifies is prohibited.
1- مع مراعاة ما قضى به نظام المنافسة، يحظر على المرخص لهم القيام بما يؤثر سلباً على سوق البث، وإعادة البث، أو الإنتاج الإعلامي المرئي أو المسموع، أو أي أمر يتصل
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.