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Tiers threat to Public Service
128/Pat Holland
The Communications Bill attempts to hold together two conflicting aims; the aim to deregulate business, giving more freedom to the owners of communications companies, and the aim to protect broadcasting as a public service. The summary to the Bill states, ‘Governments all over the world, across Europe and America recognise that relying on competition policy alone may jeopardise the effective operation of modern democracy’.
Despite the assertion of two aims, the main thrust of the Bill is a move to free market economics, and, in line with this, it outlines a concept of public service which is drastically curtailed.
The tiers
The creation of tiers of public service responsibility puts the onus on the BBC to provide the full range, while excluding Pay-TV broadcasters (notably Sky) from any obligation to be part of a regulated system. ITV, C4&5 will become ‘self-regulated’ in an aim to move away from ‘box ticking’ -i.e. specific positive requirement by the regulator on the content of the output.
The danger of this system is that
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The Content Board
OFCOM is required to ‘establish and maintain’ a Content Board to ensure ‘that the “public interest” in the nature and quality of television and radio programmes is represented within OFCOM’s overall structure.’
This is envisaged as a committee of OFCOM, but effectively the Board will be the body which will be monitoring the entire output of television. It will be broadly representative -specifically including representatives from the nations and regions. However, it does not appear to have specific responsibility for the public service remit placed on terrestrial broadcasters.
It is essential that this body has actual powers. It should be independent of OFCOM and be able to require OFCOM to take action when necessary. (Rich and powerful internationally based media owners are not likely to respond to UK content requirements unless they are backed by effective sanctions.) It should be able to draw up its own guidelines on the balance of output, and should have a budget for the sort of research currently carried out by the Broadcasting Standards Commission.
Overall, the Content Board should act as an effective counterbalance to profit-driven pressures and its work should be directly linked to public service commitments, and the concept of a public service system.
Last modified: Tuesday, June 25, 2002
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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.
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Previous stories
Government Policy
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