18/07/2003

After being approved by Parliament on 17 July, the Communications Bill is now a law of the land. The Law has is the biggest shake-up of the British broadcasting industry for a decade. It establishes a single industry watchdog and industry regulator, the Office of Communications or Ofcom, which replaces the five authorities currently in-place. Ofcom is scheduled to become fully operation by the end of this year. However Industry Secretary of State Tessa Jowell said that this was “just the start of a long process.”
Significantly, the new law opens British broadcast media outlets (radio and TV) to foreign ownership. This was a major bone of contention, with fears that media moguls like Rupert Murdoch, (and a number of US tycoons), would be allowed to purchase even more British broadcasting outlets, thus denaturing or "dumbing down" the very essence and long-standing traditions of the best of British broadcasting. (Murdoch is said to be interested in TV Channel 5).
Film producer and Labour peer Lord David Puttnam lead a cross-party revolt in the House of Lords (the upper house of the British Parliament) calling for stringent controls and tests to be applied to all media ownership. Unfortunately the amendment was defeated by 167 votes to 137 last week although Puttnam was successful in introducing a “plurality test” that will oblige media owners to present news in a balanced and impartial manner.
The Law also includes clauses ensuring the high quality of programming be maintained and has measures in place to safeguard the intrinsic "service" nature of the industry so that the best interests of the British viewing and listening public are guaranteed.

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