Commercial Radio Calls For End To Outdated Ownership Rules

Radio-specific ownership rules create unnecessary barriers to industry consolidation, commercial radio representatives told peers at the House of Lords yesterday.

The appearance was part of the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications’ ongoing inquiry into Media Ownership and the News.

RadioCentre chief executive Andrew Harrison was joined on the panel by Mark Story, managing director of radio programming at Bauer Radio and Daniel Bruce, regional news editor at CN Radio.

The evidence session followed written submissions which RadioCentre has previously made to the inquiry, arguing that radio ownership restrictions should be removed for the following reasons:

o It is unfair for radio to be singled out for mono-sector ownership rules when other media such as press and television are not subject to equivalent restrictions

o Other options exist for the delivery of plurality policy objectives

o Mono-media plurality rules are of decreasing importance in a multi-media, multi-platform world and therefore plurality policy should be determined on a cross-media basis

o Consolidation can create genuine benefits for listeners as well as the industry

Harrison said: “We welcome this opportunity ahead of new legislation to explain why the existing approach to radio ownership is outdated and counter-productive.

“Digital media have transformed the way in which news is produced and consumed, making mono-sector approaches to securing plurality unnecessary. In fact the current restrictions are stifling innovation in local radio news provision for listeners and holding back the economic health of our sector.”

RadioCentre: www.radiocentre.org