ITC RECEIVES APPLICATION FOR CHANNEL 3 NEWS PROVIDER

CHANNEL Three News Limited, a consortium consisting of Bloomberg LP, BSkyB, CBS News, Chrysalis Group and Ulster Television, have applied to the ITC to be considered as a ‘Nominated News Provider’ offering national and international news to ITV.
The 1990 Broadcasting Act (as amended by the 1996 Act) requires ITV licensees to broadcast high quality national and international news provided by a single news provider. The appointed news provider must be selected collectively by the regional ITV licensees from amongst those news providers nominated by the ITC.
The ITC will consider the application from Channel Three News against the requirement in the Act to ensure that a nominated news provider is, or if appointed would be, effectively equipped and adequately financed. As part of that process, and as the statute requires, the ITC is consulting all the regional ITV licensees. They have been asked to comment by Thursday May 10.
Only a nominated body can provide news on ITV, and once nominated, it is for ITV alone to decide to whom their news contract is awarded. The Commission hopes to announce the outcome of their consideration on Channel Three News Ltd before the end of May. (GB)