Source:
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/organgrinder/2008/07/ofcom_needs_renewal_and_it_nee.html
Ofcom needs renewal. And it needs a cultural champion
Ofcom needs to be more than just an economic regulator protecting the public
from telephone scams.
July 4, 2008 9:29 AM
Ofcom's email announcing the release of its annual report last week
profoundly depressed me. Having informed us with great glee about its
success in 1) cutting costs and 2) reducing regulation, it then said that
"promoting [the] citizens and consumer interest is our core purpose".
And what had Ofcom done in pursuit of this core purpose? asks Professor
Steven Barnett.
There was not a word about securing investment in original programming from
commercial broadcasters, or maintaining high quality news, or thinking about
the potential community benefits of liberated spectrum.
It proudly announced "the biggest fines in broadcasting history" to make
broadcasters directly responsible for their premium rate scams. Beyond that,
it boasted of protection for consumers whose telephone accounts were moved
to other providers; easier transition for those who wanted to switch mobile
providers; and new guidance on how comms providers should disclose the true
cost of services.
That was the sum total of Ofcom's self-proclaimed concern for the interests
of citizens.
How ironic, then, that it should come just a few hours before publication of
the House of Lords communications select committee report into media
ownership. The report promotes Ofcom's role in protecting the public
interest. If the report's recommendations about monitoring the quality of
television news and running the public interest test for media mergers are
adopted, Ofcom's role becomes pivotal; and its ability to execute that role
depends on actively embracing its statutory duty to promote the interests of
citizens. The select committee's recommendations are rooted in a vision of
Ofcom that places a premium on understanding the cultural significance of
the industries it regulates.
But Ofcom is struggling with that vision.
Which brings us to the new chairman. This is a hugely influential position
which sets the tone and direction of the organisation. Ofcom has been led
since its inception by David Currie who, while providing perfectly competent
leadership to a nascent organisation, is an economist. It is time for
change, and this is the opportunity for an important statement about the
government's vision for communications.
Who should be the new chairman? Not an economist. We need someone with
vision, respected by business, but also an effective cultural champion -
someone who is capable of standing up for the public interest even in the
face of vigorous resistance from the businesses which Ofcom regulates.
Ofcom has never felt institutionally comfortable with its duty to citizens.
It now needs an unequivocal message from the top that it can be more than
just an economic regulator which protects consumers from phone scams and
inflated bills.
And here's an easy first step: reinvigorate the content board and give it an
explicit role to promote quality, innovation and investment in creativity
rather than simply acting as a collection box for complaints about harm and
offence. The economists won't like it. But they've run the show long enough.
Steven Barnett is professor of communications at the University of Westminster
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