The waiting period is the time a publication must complete, while meeting all the required conditions, before it can acquire the right to publish official announcements. The length depends on the type of publication, and for online news sites there are two routes that shorten it.
The periods
| Type of publication | Period | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Newspaper | 36 months | Art. 33(1) |
| Online news site (general rule) | 24 months | Art. 54(1) |
| Online news site (twice the conditions) | 6 months | Art. 54(2) |
| Online news site (no right-holder in the quota location) | 6 months | Art. 54(4) |
Article 33 is a single sentence for newspapers: the waiting period to which they are subject in order to acquire the right is 36 months. No exception shortening the period is provided for newspapers.
The first route to six months: twice the conditions
Article 54(2) provides that an online news site which, from the date of application, meets twice the minimum staffing and minimum daily content figures and the minimum daily unique visitor, direct unique visitor and page view figures determined for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th Category to which it belongs, is subject to a waiting period of six months.
An example makes it concrete. An online news site in the 4th Category is normally required to have a staff of 6, to publish 20 items a day and to reach 5,000 daily unique visitors and 15,000 page views. To take the doubling route you must meet twice all of those.
The second route to six months: a vacant quota location
Article 54(4) addresses a different situation: in quota locations where, as at the date of application, there is no online news site holding the right to publish official announcements or for which the Agency has determined a waiting period start date, the waiting period is applied as six months.
That provision accelerates the first publication established in a quota location with no right-holder at all. It can be decisive in smaller provinces; it is worth confirming the position of your quota location with the Agency before applying.
When does the period start?
The start matters as much as the length, and this is the point most often misunderstood. Under Article 15 the start date of the waiting period is the date on which it is established, following the inspection or examination carried out on the application, that you possess the required conditions and qualifications — not the date of application.
Conclusion
There is a single period for newspapers: 36 months. For online news sites there are three possibilities: 24 months as a rule, 6 months if you meet twice your category conditions, and 6 months if there is no other right-holder in your quota location. If you take the accelerated route, factor in that the doubled burden must be carried for a total of 24 months.
The start date is covered in the start date guide, extension in the extension guide, and the daily content and visitor figures each category has to meet in the content and traffic guide.