ITC reviews nominated news provider for ITV news

The Independent Television Commission (ITC) has received an application from ITN for the renewal of its status as a nominated news provider for the Channel 3 news service.
ITN was last awarded nominated news provider status in January 1993 for a period of ten years and is now seeking to renew its status from January 2003. Under provisions in the 1990 Broadcasting Act (amended by the 1996 Act), the news provider for Channel 3 must be nominated by the ITC as effectively equipped and adequately financed to provide the required high quality national and international news.
The ITC will consider ITN’s application against the requirements of the Act and, as the Act requires, is consulting all the regional Channel 3 licensees, who have been asked to comment on the application by 26 August 2002.
The ITC expects to announce its decision next month.
An amendment has been made to the Guidance Note on Application for a Nominated News Provider, which sets out the criteria applied by the ITC.
The amended wording in the first paragraph enables the ITC to consider applications “in exceptional circumstances” from providers who offer alternative arrangements to those set out in the Guidance Note but who may still be capable of meeting the requirement to be effectively equipped and adequately financed.
The change was made on legal advice because the wording of the Guidance Note might obstruct a bid for nomination, or restructuring of a nominated news provider, which might otherwise be worth further consideration.
The actual award of the news contract is a matter for ITV, not the ITC, but the award must be to an organisation which has the status of nominated news provider.
In May 2001, the ITC awarded nominated news provider status to Channel 3 News Ltd, a consortium consisting of Bloomberg L.P., BSkyB plc, CBS News, Chrysalis Group plc and Ulster Television plc. It was the first time that a company other than ITN had applied to the ITC for nominated news provider status. However, the ITC say that the consortium has since withdrawn as a nominated news provider.
The 1990 Broadcasting Act (as amended by the 1996 Act) requires Channel 3 licensees to broadcast high quality national and international news provided by a single news provider.
The news provider must be selected collectively by the regional Channel 3 licensees from those news providers nominated by the ITC.
Copies of the Guidance Note on Application for Nomination as a News Provider can be accessed via the ITC website at www.itc.org.uk
(SP)