GOVERNMENT TO PUBLISH MEDIA OWNERSHIP CONSULTATION

THE Government will publish a consultation next month asking for views on how best to regulate media ownership, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said.
The paper will cover the principles behind the need for reform of the rules, and set out some options for change. It will be published jointly with DCMS and DTI, and two months will be allowed for comment. The consultation will inform the provisions in the forthcoming Communications Bill, due to be published next year.
Issues to be covered by the paper will include: What limits should be set on ownership of the ITV news provider? What reform is needed of the special newspaper regime of the Fair Trading Act? Is there scope for religious ownership of broadcasters? Which powers should be given to an independent regulator, and which to the Secretary of State? What approach should we take to cross media ownership? How can we best ensure the system can respond to a fast changing technological and market environment?
In a speech to the Society of Editors in Belfast, Jowell set out why the public interest required limits on media ownership, and the need to balance that with the economic health of the media sector.
Jowell said: “People are reading newspapers on the internet. Before long, they will be watching TV on their mobile phones. There will be new and exciting opportunities for competition, and we are determined that British companies should be able to take advantage. It may require a different approach to regulation in new markets. And it means that the legislation we introduce will have to stand the test of time in a rapidly changing market. We have two aims. We need to uphold the interests of our citizens. They must continue to receive a diversity of content from their media. They must also continue to receive that diversity from a plurality of sources. But we also want to encourage competition and to make Britain home to the most dynamic and competitive media market in the world. So we will try to be as deregulatory as possible, and intend to allow what market consolidation we can. In devising these rules, we have to strike a balance between economic growth and our nation’s democratic health. We need both if we are to preserve the unique culture of dissent, debate and public service that is our media.” (CD)