Current Regulatory Regime Is Unfair, Says Newspaper Society

The Newspaper Society has put forward a series of guidelines for the future of the regional press. In a response to the Government’s communications reform team on the coming White Paper for the media industry, the regional and local press body has called for reform of the current media ownership laws and the avoidance of impeding regulation as the demands of new media call for old controls to be rewritten.

It wants the White Paper to look at the effects of changes to the media landscape since ownership controls were introduced in the 1960’s and overturn those which are now redundant or restrictive in today’s competitive environment. Even uncontroversial transfers of newspaper assets have proved burdensome in comparison to other media and the society believes that a continuance of current controls is likely to further impede the industry at a time of progression and expansion.

In particular it calls for an evaluation of the regulatory imbalance between the commercial media sector and public service broadcasters, a view that has been echoed within other industries (see GWR Calls For Lighter Regulation In Communications White Paper).

“The industry has a keen awareness of the importance of the right regulatory framework to ensure its future vitality within the converging communications industries,” said Santha Rasaiah, head of legal and regulatory affairs at the Newspaper Society.

Newspaper Society: 020 7636 7014