Dear Colleagues,
thanks to Maire and Ivor for an excellent policy group meeting last Friday.
Regarding our agreement to plan for a possible Digital Britain
briefing meeting in early September, here is the address for the
Consultation details posted on 30 June on the DCMS website:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/consultations/6245.aspx
You'll see that the 'Digital Britain' final report of June '09 is in fact a White
Paper and that there are several consultations being run over the summer, in
the wake of this document. However, it is proposed that some key changes
will not require primary legislation.
The proposed (and apparently not legislative) change that we agreed to
focus on is the one involving 'top-slicing' the BBC licence fee to
help pay for broadband roll out and, more specifically, to pay for the
provision of new news services in the nations and regions, and
locally. These new services are intended to compensate for the loss of ITV
regional services. They would be part-funded by the Licence Fee but run
independently of the BBC by 'Independent News Consortia'.
In the first phase there will be pilots in Wales, Scotland and one English region.
The key document for this proposal is the Consultation on 'Sustainable,
Independent and Impartial News in the Nations , Locally and in the Regions'
(copy attached). The deadline for responses to this Consultation is 22
September. The debate is about whether or not the BBC Licence Fee should
be top-sliced for this purpose and how the news requirements of the nations
(Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland), English regions and localities can be met, as ITV
withdraws resources from that area. Government is using the
phrase 'contained contestability' to describe the proposal.
Myself and Natalie Fenton were charged with taking forward the
planning of a small briefing meeting - hopefully with key civil
servants, and with advice from Jonathan Breckon of the AHRC -on
the late morning of Friday 11 September, just before the afternoon
meeting of the MeCCSA Executive. We'll be in touch again as soon as we
have something specific to report. best wishes, Sylvia
Sylvia Harvey,
Professor of Broadcasting Policy,
University of Lincoln
Email: [log in to unmask]
Tel: 01522-886431
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