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CPBF Response to Draft Communications Bill
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The CPBF response to the government’s draft Communications Bill demonstrated the way the various interests and ideas of CPBF members can be drawn on to produce a document of great clarity and consistency. It represents a fundamental critique of the principles and proposals contained in the government’s draft bill.The 31-page document, given a final edit by Kathy Lowe and CPBF National Secretary, Jonathan Hardy, includes two appendices by Julian Petley (CPBF Chair) and US media academic Bob McChesney. A full version of the text is available from the home page of this site.
We print below an edited summary of the main recommendations
The role of OFCOM should be radically redefined so that instead of being an instrument to promote the interests of the media industry it has a clear public interest remit.
Recommendations
1) OFCOM should have the obligation to promote high quality communications that inform, educate, entertain and fully reflect the range of opinions and cultures in the UK, across all the major services.
2) OFCOM should have a duty to secure protection for viewers and listeners as citizens, with the right and need for access to a wide range of information and communication services so that they can be informed, educated and enabled to play a full part in society.
OFCOM has to be democratically accountable
Recommendations
8) The OFCOM board should be constituted by democratic nomination from the devolved institutions and by UK-wide associations with a major interest in the media, including, educational bodies, cultural organisations, NGOs, civil liberties organisations, media unions and the TUC.
9) In particular the devolved assemblies should have the right to nominate members of OFCOM, to both the main board and any sub-boards.
The BBC
Recommendation
14) The BBC should not be subject to regulatory overview by OFCOM, but should remain autonomous.
Regulation of broadcasting
Recommendations
15) The Draft Bill should ensure a continued commitment to a public service system in British broadcasting, rather than a commercial system with a few protected public service ‘remits’. This should be done by spelling out in detail the individual public service remits and obligations for each of the commercial broadcasters.
16) Positive regulation should be strengthened across the whole system with OFCOM requiring a minimum investment in original production in documentary, drama, children’s programmes, education, arts, news, current affairs and in the coverage of international issues.
Media Ownership
Recommendations
28) The prohibition on non-EEA ownership of broadcasting licences should remain.
29) Instead of the Draft Bill discussing broadcasting almost exclusively as an economic activity it needs to give a much clearer statement about the nature of broadcasting in terms of its social, cultural and political role.
30) The regional ITV franchises with their obligations to local news, current affairs and general programming must be retained.
31) There must be no further consolidation of ITV ownership. The companies must also engage separate advertising sales operations, to prevent market fixing.
32) The public service broadcasting requirements on ITV broadcasters should not be lowered but remain at the same level as the BBC.
38) The so-called 20:20 rule preventing any newspaper owner with 20 per cent share of national market from having more than 20 per cent stake in any terrestrial commercial TV service should be reinstated.
Last modified: Friday, September 20, 2002
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New CPBF Pamphlet on the Communications Bill
WHY THE COMMUNICATIONS BILL IS BAD NEWS
Submission to the DCMS/DTI consultation on the draft Communications Bill
Update on the Communications Bill
CPBF attacks 'government arrogance' over Puttnam Report
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Submission to the Joint Committee on the Draft Communications Bill by the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom
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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
New CPBF Pamphlet on the Communications Bill
WHY THE COMMUNICATIONS BILL IS BAD NEWS
Submission to the DCMS/DTI consultation on the draft Communications Bill
Update on the Communications Bill
CPBF attacks 'government arrogance' over Puttnam Report
The Puttnam Report: 'Making a good bill better'
Robert McChesney's 'Theses on Media Deregulation'
Communications Freedom and the Internet
Submission to the Joint Committee on the Draft Communications Bill by the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom
The Dangers of Media Deregulation
Will opening the door to international ownership benefit UK media?
The BBC
Tiers threat to Public Service
Citizens and consumers
Where is Scotland in the Communications Bill?
A MARKET-DRIVEN BILL
Comms Bill scrutiny starts today
'Where is Scotland in the Communications Bill?' ask media campaigners
'Where is Wales, public service and quality in Communications Bill?' ask Welsh media campaigners.
Communications Bill ‘puts market-driven media before public interest’ warns CPBF
Communications Bill unveiled....
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
