Cross-media review within ‘a few weeks’

BYLN:

The Government’s forthcoming cross-media ownership review will cover digital as well as existing terrestrial and satellite TV and radio channels, National Heritage secretary Stephen Dorrell told MPs on Monday.

The long-delayed proposals could be published “within the next few weeks”, possibly before Parliament goes into its ten-day Whitsun recess on May 25, Dorrell said this week. He refused to confirm recent speculation about the review and its content.

Last week national newspaper reports indicated that the Government favours a 15 per cent ceiling based on share of the total media market.

The Government is understood to be considering a points system from which share can be calculated. This has already provoked concern among commercial radio industry executives who already work within points-based ownership guidelines.

“The points system for commercial radio groups is anomalous. Applying a similar one to all media would be confusing and controversial,” says one source.

Meanwhile, Commons Heritage Committee chairman Gerald Kaufman called on Monday for BT to be given access to the information superhighway.

It is “just plain daft” that BT can broadcast TV in America through its interest in MCI, US phone companies can broadcast in the UK as part-owners of cable firms, but BT cannot broadcast TV in this country, he said.

The interests of the US consumer are serviced by having a choice in the US market, Dorrell responded. The interests of the British consumer are served by having choice in the delivery of the TV signal to UK homes. By preventing BT from having access to the market you allow others to develop competition, he said.

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