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Communications Bill unveiled....
Press Release: DRAFT BILL OVERHAULS LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY
Patricia Hewitt of the DTI announced the publication of the communications bill at a media
briefing at 2.30pm today 7 May 2002.Text of DTI/DCMS Press Release:
The draft Communications Bill published today sets out the Government's radical plans to overhaul and simplify the legal framework for the media industry.
Jointly published by Trade and Industry secretary, Patricia Hewitt and Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell, the draft Bill will bring the current regulatory framework up-to-date, responding to the technological and market changes
driving modern media.
The draft Bill will be subject to a consultation period of three months as well as pre-legislative scrutiny by a joint committee of both Houses. The draft Bill would:
* establish a single powerful regulator - the Office for Communications (OFCOM) - replacing the
existing five regulators (the ITC, Radio Authority, Oftel, Broadcasting Standards Commission, Radiocommunications Agency);
* apply a consistent scheme for regulating the public service broadcasters, with greater regulation for the BBC and more self-regulation for the others while keeping the core responsibilities of the BBC Governors, with
additional oversight by OFCOM, but with back-stop powers resting with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport;
* give OFCOM powers concurrent with the Office of Fair Trading to apply competition rules in the
Communications Sector;
* require OFCOM to establish and maintain a 'Content Board' that would ensure that the public's interest in the nature and quality of TV and radio programmes is strongly represented within OFCOM's structure;
* remove the requirement for licensing of telecommunications systems, so removing about 400 licences, and replace it with a new regulatory regime for electronic communications networks, services and associated facilities in line with EC Directives; and
* allow spectrum trading to secure more efficient use of the available radio spectrum.
In its final form, the Bill would reform the rules on media ownership. Firm proposals for reform are published today alongside the draft Bill. There would be significant deregulation to promote competition and investment, but a few core rules would be retained to protect diversity and plurality.
The Government plans to remove most ownership rules within the TV, radio and newspaper markets where competition law tends to encourage dispersed ownership. But some will be retained as minimum guarantees of plurality.
The rules that would be scrapped include:
* those which prevent single ownership of ITV;
* those which prevent ownership of more than one national commercial radio licence;
* the criminal sanctions that apply in the newspaper merger regime;
* those that prevent the joint ownership of TV and radio stations;
* those which prevent large newspaper groups from acquiring Channel 5, or radio licences; and
* the inconsistent rules that prevent the non-European ownership of some broadcasting assets in order to boost inward investment and allow the UK to benefit rapidly from new ideas and technological developments.
Three key limits on cross-media ownership would be kept to safeguard the vibrancy of debate at every level of society - national, regional and local:
* first, recognising that most people get their news and information from national newspapers and from terrestrial television, the simple rule that any newspaper group with over 20% of the national market will not be able to own a significant stake in ITV - the only commercial public service broadcaster with universal access to a mass audience - would be kept;
* second, A parallel regional rule would prevent anyone owning all the newspapers and the regional ITV license in any region or major city; and
* third, there would be a scheme to ensure that at least three commercial local or regional media voices exist (in newspapers, TV and radio) in addition to the BBC in almost every local community.
Where necessary the Government plans to retain and strengthen content regulation to ensure the quality, impartiality and diversity of broadcasting services. Therefore OFCOM would:
* have the power to investigate the news and current affairs programming of any local radio service if they have concerns about accuracy or impartiality;
* have a new duty to protect and promote the local content of local radio services;
* be able to vary licences on change of control, to ensure the character of the service is maintained. For ITV, this would protect regional production and programming requirements;
* oversee the nominated news provider system for ITV, to ensure high quality and independent news on free-to-air public service television.
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Tessa Jowell, said:
"For too long the UK's media have been over-regulated and over-protected from competition.
Despite this, the last ten years have seen a dramatic increase in the range of voices in the marketplace. The draft Bill we have published today will liberalise the market, so removing unnecessary regulatory burdens and cutting red tape, but at the same time retain some key safeguards that will protect the diversity and plurality of our media."
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Patricia Hewitt said:
"Britain is already one of the world's leaders in the communications industry. This Bill will give companies a better environment in which to develop their businesses in a sector of the economy which already accounts for 300,000 jobs and £12 billion of investment a year. As a result, inward investment will increase while domestic companies will have the chance to grow and expand."
Tessa Jowell added:
"In all of these changes, the interests of citizens come first, whether as consumers, as viewers and listeners, or as participants in democracy."
Notes for Editors
1. All of the supporting documents are available on a dedicated website: www.communicationsbill.gov.uk
2. The Government's White Paper, A New Future for Communications, was published on 12 December 2000. The document can be found on the dedicated website: www.communicationswhitepaper.gov.uk.
3. For public enquiries call either the DTI on 020 7215 5000 or the DCMS on 020 7211 6200. Or see the departmental websites: www.dti.gov.uk and www.culture.gov.uk
Press Enquires:
DTI 020 7215 5971/4/8
DCMS 020 7211 6267/9
(Out of Hours:
DTI 020 7215 3234/3505
DCMS Pager 07699 751153)
Textphone for those with hearing impairments:
020 7215 6740LINKSwww.communicationsbill.gov.uk
www.culture.gov.uk
www.dti.gov.uk
Last modified: Tuesday, May 7, 2002
Previous government policy stories
CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT COMMITTEE: HOUSE OF COMMONS (SESSION 2001-02), 1 May 2002, No 25
Wales needs more public debate on communications policy
NO OFCOM SEATS FOR REGIONS - but battle to defend regional voice goes on
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Communications Bill Roundup - Ownership Consultation
ITN NEWS PROVISION
Summary Response to Consultation on Media Ownership Rules
Culture Minister Promises Wide Consultation on Bill
RESPONSE TO CONSULTATION ON MEDIA OWNERSHIP RULES
BY DCMS and DTI (November 2001)
Wales and the Future of Mass Communications:
Cymru a Dyfodol Cyfathrebu Torfol
The State of the Media - Media Policy and the need for reform.
The Danger in a Reasonable Approach
ITN to Embrace Madonna
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CPBF COMMENTS ON THE COMMUNICATIONS WHITE PAPER
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JOWELL ANNOUNCES CONSULTATION PAPER ON MEDIA OWNERSHIP
12 November - Communications revolution: who benefits? Nottingham.
30 October - Communications revolution: who benefits? Bath.
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Notices
Events & Announcements
World Press Freedom Day
More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
DATELINE: 27/4/13
UK launch of EU media campaign
DATELINE: 13/3/13
The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
This petition calls for the EU to act to protect media pluralism and press freedom.
CPBF Annual General Meeting
DATELINE: 1/3/13
Make a note in your diary
Saturday 13 July 2013 from 10.00am
NUJ HQ, 308/312 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1.
Leveson, media ownership, CPBF future work.
DOWNLOAD FREEPRESS NOW
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Download Freepress in PDF, ePub or mobi format. Issue 194 now available.
MEDIA FOR ALL CONFERENCE
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Papers from the Media for All Conference
MEDIA MANIFESTO
DATELINE: 26/3/10
The media’s job is to inform and entertain us but we rely on them too to tell us what our rulers and representatives are up to. In the run-up to the Iraq war the government used spin and disinformation in the media to create panic and mislead people. The truth is coming out now, but we need stronger, more independent media to be able to scrutinise governments and make informed choices.
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Previous stories
Government Policy
CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT COMMITTEE: HOUSE OF COMMONS (SESSION 2001-02), 1 May 2002, No 25
Wales needs more public debate on communications policy
NO OFCOM SEATS FOR REGIONS - but battle to defend regional voice goes on
A Voice for Scotland
Communications Bill Roundup - Ownership Consultation
ITN NEWS PROVISION
Summary Response to Consultation on Media Ownership Rules
Culture Minister Promises Wide Consultation on Bill
RESPONSE TO CONSULTATION ON MEDIA OWNERSHIP RULES
BY DCMS and DTI (November 2001)
Wales and the Future of Mass Communications:
Cymru a Dyfodol Cyfathrebu Torfol
The State of the Media - Media Policy and the need for reform.
The Danger in a Reasonable Approach
ITN to Embrace Madonna
Wales, OFCOM and the democratic deficit
Roadshows raise awareness
Trade unionists take up the gauntlet
CPBF to give oral evidence on bill
Media Ownership Consultation
Diverse and Public - Public Service Broadcasting and the Communications White Paper
Consultation on Media Ownership Rules
5 December: CPBF Policy Seminar on Media Ownership
CYMRU RESERVATION:
HEALTH DEVOLVED BUT NOT CASUALTY!
CPBF COMMENTS ON THE COMMUNICATIONS WHITE PAPER
WHITE PAPER OR WHITE FLAG?
DTI DCMS Communications White Paper - A new future for communications
Corporate Media Trends in Europe
CPBF/Public Voice seminar on media ownership
JOWELL ANNOUNCES CONSULTATION PAPER ON MEDIA OWNERSHIP
12 November - Communications revolution: who benefits? Nottingham.
30 October - Communications revolution: who benefits? Bath.
