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Rh locality, the Authority shall publish, in such manner as they think fit, a notice—

(a) stating that they propose to enter into a contract for the provision of television programmes or, as the case may be, local sound broadcasts in that area or locality;

(b) stating the date from which it is proposed that the contract will take effect; and

(c) inviting applications for the contract.

(5) Where the Authority and a programme contractor enter into a succession of contracts for the provision of programmes, each succeeding contract being entered into in pursuance of a provision to that effect in a preceding contract–

(a) each succeeding contract entered into shall be treated for the purposes of subsection (1) as an extension, or further extension, of the first of those contracts; and

(b) the Authority need not comply with subsection (3) or (4) in relation to any of those contracts other than the first.

Programme contractors

20.—(1) The Authority shall not enter into any contract with a programme contractor whereby (whether by virtue of that contract alone or by virtue of that contract together with one or more other contracts) the contractor is to provide television programmes for an area and is to provide local sound broadcasts for reception in a locality which, in the opinion of the Authority, is comprised in that area.

(2) It shall be the duty of the Authority to do all that they can to secure—

(a) that persons who are disqualified persons as defined in subsection (6) or (8) do not become or continue as programme contractors, either alone or in partnership with other persons, and

(b) that there is adequate competition to supply programmes between a number of programme contractors independent of each other both as to finance and as to control.

(3) In the performance of their duty under subsection (2)(b) the Authority shall do all that they can to secure—

(a) that no programme contractor with whom the Authority enter into a contract for the provision of television programmes for an area, and no associate of such a programme contractor, has, or during the period of the contract will acquire, control over any programme contractor with whom the Authority enter into a contract for the provision of local sound broadcasts for