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Local media ownership rules 'likely to be relaxed'
Leigh Holmwood
DATELINE: 6/1/09
The government is set to recommend the relaxation of local media ownership rules in a bid to help newspaper groups hit by the economic downturn, writes Leigh Holmwood in MediaGuardian.co.uk (5 January 2009).Lord Carter, the new minister for communications, technology and broadcasting, is expected to approve consolidation in local media markets in order to save further jobs from being cut. His interim 'Digital Britain' report is due to be published this month. MediaGuardian.co.uk understands that one of it main recommendations will focus on helping newspaper groups by allowing them to acquire local radio and TV stations as well as expanding their online presence.
Regional newspapers have been particularly hard hit by the recession, with advertising revenues down, while readers have continued to move to the internet, prompting hundreds of job cuts in the closing months of 2008. Newspaper publishers claim existing UK media ownership rules have hindered them, in some cases forcing the closure of titles. The slow decline of regional media has also become an increasingly important issue for MPs, who rely on local papers to speak directly to their constituents.
Existing media ownership rules, enshrined in the 2003 Communications Act following a major review, are designed to "strike a balance between ensuring a degree of plurality on the one hand and providing freedom to companies to expand, innovate and invest on the other". They aim to "prevent/limit consolidation within a media market or between markets to decrease the likelihood that any one owner wields too much power".
The 2003 Act introduced a complicated points system to prevent local newspapers with a market share of 50% or more and ITV regional licensees from holding local analogue radio licences in the same area. A media owner may also not acquire a regional ITV licence if it runs one or more local newspapers with more than a 20% market share in the same area. The rule governing local radio states that there should be at least two separate owners of local commercial radio services in addition to the BBC in any defined area.
Media regulator Ofcom is also obliged under the 2003 Act to review the ownership rules at least every three years, with the next report due in 2009. If Ofcom feels there should be any changes it then makes recommendations to the secretary of state for culture, media and sport – currently Andy Burnham.
The last review in November 2006 found no need to alter the existing rules, although sources expect changes to be recommended in the forthcoming review. Newspaper groups have called for the current rules to be reformed, with Trinity Mirror chief executive Sly Bailey saying the "outdated" system could lead to further titles closing and jobs being lost if they are not changed."Competition law as it applies to newspapers has to be reviewed because it ignores the modern, broader media landscape," Bailey told the Society of Editors conference in November."My fear is that by the time this is properly recognised it may be too late and the very things we wish to protect – plurality and diversity – are destroyed by cumbersome, outdated regulation."
In June 2008, members of the House of Lords communications committee proposed easing ownership restrictions relating to local newspapers and radio.
The BBC Trust recently axed its proposed £68m network of local news websites following intense lobbying from regional newspaper groups (see Free Press 167).
Last modified: Tuesday, January 6, 2009
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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.
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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
Media Ownership
BSkyB loses appeal ruling
Appeals tribunal rules BSkyB must sell ITV stake
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Lords take stand against media barons
BBC Trust concludes its review of bbc.co.uk
Murdoch company tried on sabotage allegations
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BSkyB and ITV
BSkyB and ITV
Campaign welcomes government ruling on ITV shares
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