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Newspaper Society Levels Further Criticism At Draft Bill

The Newspaper Society has again criticised the Government’s recently published draft Communications Bill, claiming that its proposals on newspaper mergers will increase the regulatory burden on the regional and local press.
In its final submission on the Bill, the Society warns the Government against the dangers of creating a highly complex regime that would extend the existing regulations to smaller local newspaper publishers, which are currently free of special controls.
It has accused the Government’s existing proposals on newspaper mergers of being “inconsistent” with its declared policy objectives of streamlining and simplifying the current regulatory regime and removing smaller newspapers from the special regime altogether.
In its submission the Society states: “The acquisition of a single weekly local newspaper, paid-for or free, could lead to the complicated interaction, inquiries and powers of the OFT, Competition Commission, DTI and Ofcom before the final decision by the Secretary of State.”
The Society is calling for the regulations surrounding regional newspapers to remain unchanged under the new regime. It states: “The Government must recognise the reality of the fiercely competitive editorial and commercial environment in which regional and local newspaper companies operate.”
It continues: “Instead of imposing new, unwarranted ownership restrictions upon regional newspaper companies, the Government must bring forward legislation that gives them the freedom to evolve, develop and fairly compete with their many competitors at every level.”
The Newspaper Society has been highly critical of the draft Bill’s proposals for the reform of media ownership rules (see NS Calls For Reform Of Outdated Media Laws), which is says are a matter of “crucial concern” to the newspaper industry as a whole” (see NS Calls For Reform Of Outdated Media Laws).
Newspaper Society: 020 7636 7014 www.newspapersoc.org.uk
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