ITC Welcomes Move Towards Dynamic Media Market
The ITC has given its support to the Governement’s recently published draft Communications Bill which it says goes a long way towards creating the regualtory framework for the UK’s dynamic media market.
In evidience prepared for the Joint Scrutiny Committee on the Bill, the ITC gives partucluar welcome to the proposed liberalisation of the media ownership rules, which it says will help to attract the investment needed to deliver enhanced services for consumers.
The regulatory body also gives its support to the propossals for Ofcom, but says that super-regulator’s new Content Board, with strong representation from the nations and regions, should focus on “important cutural issues”, leaving the main Ofcom board free to concentrate on overall economic regulation and competition concerns.
In other areas, while agreeing with the general thrust of the Bill, the ITC beleives that further work is needed. In particular the Commission feels that the broad outline for public service requirements put forward by the Bill is too demanding for the commercial sector. It proposses that Ofcom should agree on the remits for each public service broadcaster in relation to practicality based on revenues. This, it argues, will provide Ofcom with the power to ensure delivery of those remits on an ongoing annual basis.
The ITC beleives that for self-regulation to work Ofcom needs to report annually to Parlaiment, providing high-level analysis of what the market is suppying and public service broadcasters are delivering. The Commission states: “We envisage a broad brush analysis that informs self-regulation.”
The requirement for nominated news providers to be adequetly funded by broadcasters has also been welcomed by the ITC, which beleives that quality comprehensive news services are fundamental to a healthy democracy. The Commission also proposses that the current obligation for broadcasters to provide a sufficiency of news in peak time should be carried forward into the Communications Bill.
The Joint Committee on the draft Communications Bill was established earleir in the month to consider reactions to the proposed legislation. The Committee, which is to be chaired by Lord Puttnam, will hold hearings on the Bill and will publish a report, to which the Government must respond.
ITC: 020 7306 7743 www.itc.org.uk
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