Assembleia da República (Assembly of the Republic)
Law
First alteration to Law no. 31-A/98, dated July 14th (approved the Television Law)
Under the terms of paragraph c) of article 161 of the Constitution, the Assembly of the Republic hereby decrees that the following shall become general law of the Republic:
Article 1
A new paragraph as follows is hereby added to article 44 of Law no. 31-A/98, dated July 14th:
« Article 44
[...]
1 - ............................................ .
a) ........................................;
b) ........................................;
c) ........................................;
d) ........................................;
e) ........................................;
f) Ensure equality of access to information and programming in general for all citizens, thus guaranteeing that transmissions may also be accompanied by the deaf and persons with a hearing deficiency, through recourse to sub-titles or sign language;
g) [Previous paragraph f).] »
2 - Paragraph e) of article 45 of Law no. 31-A/98, dated July 14th now reads as follows:
« e) Transmit specific programmes intended for the deaf or people with a hearing deficiency; »
Article 2
That laid down in paragraph f) of article 44 and in paragraph e) of article 45º Law no. 31-A/98, dated July 14th, with the changes made by the present law, must be fulfilled in the first revision of the contract for the concession of the public television service, with the express defining of deadlines and programmes in which the said obligations must be developed.
Approved on December 20th, 2001.
The President of the Assembly of the Republic, António de Almeida Santos.
Promulgated on January 25th, 2002.
Ordered to be published.
The President of the Republic, JORGE SAMPAIO.
Countersigned on January 31st, 2002.
The Prime Minister, António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres.
