NS Lashes Out At Government Paper

The Newspaper Society (NS), which represents the interests of the UK’s regional and local press, has hit out against the consultation on media ownership rules published by the Government this week (see Jowell Says Cross Media Rules May Remain), claiming it lacks understanding and threatens to increase regulatory burdens.

David Newell, director of the NS, said: “[The paper] fails to understand the role of regional and local newspapers, and the competitive environment in which they operate. There are dangers that OFCOM will be given a ‘czar-like’ role which restricts editorial freedoms. OFCOM could now be given the ability to control the way in which local media develop alongside national media.”

The NS was hoping that the Government would address the regional press’s concerns over newspaper transfers and cross-media ownership restrictions in a “lighter touch approach”. Instead, the society feel that this week’s document threatens to “extend controls and introduce new and more onerous layers of regulation, preventing local media from competing with local media still further.”

As part of its ongoing lobbying for an overhaul of the current ownership regulations, the NS submitted a report by National Economic Research Associates which looked at the effect of legislation on the regional and local newspaper industry. The NS wants the specialist newspaper provisions of the Fair Trading Act removed, leaving newspapers subject to general competition law, as well as a relaxation of the rules governing the ownership of radio stations in local newspaper areas.

Newspaper Society: 020 7636 7014 www.newspapersoc.org.uk

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