MPs rally round ITV regions
An Early Day Motion in Parliament is calling for protection of regional ITV programming.
Tabled by John Grogan MP, the motion recommends that strong regulation should be introduced to ensure that ITV provides "substantial" regionally-produced programmes over a range of genres.
Coming just one day after the Communications Bill received its second reading in the House of Commons the Early Day Motion (EDM) is evidence of the growing concern that the government is planning to water down the public service obligations of commercial broadcasters.
BECTU has already condemned the Bill as a weak piece of legislation which could lead to the destruction of ITV's regional production base, and the end of serious local programming on the network. John Grogan's EDM also highlights the dangers of the relaxation of media ownership in the Bill, which would allow non-European companies to buy Channel 5, and possibly ITV itself at some time in the future.
Although EDMs are not put to a vote of MPs, they are a salutory signal to government about the feelings of backbenchers, and a long list of signatories would throw doubt on the regulatory clauses of the Communicatons Bill which is due to be considered by a Commons Standing Committee over the next few weeks.
Early Day Motion 260 2002/2003
Future of Regional Independent Television and Commercial Public Service Broadcasting
That this House:
Values greatly the public service broadcasting role of Channel 3, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and the regional commitment and production of the ITV companies; urges the Government to ensure that this role and regional production base are strengthened by the Communications Bill; notes the trend towards centralisation and concentration of ownership of ITV as demonstrated by the proposed merger of Granada and Carlton; recommends that the Government introduces strong regulatory requirements on ITV to provide substantial high quality and original regional programme production across a broad range of programme genres and a distinct public service remit for every Channel 3 service requiring the provision of high quality and diverse programming which satisfies the tastes and interests of the part of the United Kingdom for which that service is licensed; supports the granting of independent status to regional ITV companies when seeking commissions on channels other than ITV; fears that allowing dominant national newspaper proprietors to own Channel 5 could destabilise commercial public service broadcasting and regional production as well as threatening plurality and consequently supports the conclusion of Lord Puttnam's Joint Scrutiny Committee that this issue should be referred for consideration to Ofcom.