21 novembro 2002

VITAMEDIAS
Masterplan for the media: The government's eagerly awaited shake-up of media ownership was finally revealed yesterday after months of consultation with the industry, consumers and regulators.
The communications bill sets out a blueprint for the future of the media sector, which will overseen by a new super-regulator - the office of communications. As an amalgamation of five bodies, Ofcom will have an unprecedented range of powers and be given the task of regulating broadcasting and telephony's three great powers: the BBC, BT and BSkyB.
New model media: The government should be congratulated for accepting more than 80% of the amendments to the communications bill suggested by Lord Puttnam's cross-party committee of MPs and peers. The bill, which merges five existing regulatory bodies covering broadcasting, television and telephony into one new one, Ofcom, now commands quite considerable cross-party support.
On the downside, the government has not overtly accepted the Puttnam committee's opposition to relaxation of the rules restricting foreign ownership of UK media until the new regulator Ofcom had reviewed the issue. The justification for this opposition is not xenophobic, it is simply that there is no reason why we should open our markets to US ownership while the Bush administration blocks reciprocal moves by UK media to buy into America. There is also a legitimate worry that if an American company buys ITV it may use it as a dumping ground for existing US programmes rather than a cradle to nurture our own creative talent.