Source · Select Committees · Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 24
Include Media Bill with radio provisions in next parliamentary legislative programme.
Recommendation
The radio industry has legitimate concerns about the potential for larger platforms to control access to stations and drive audiences elsewhere. While listening to radio still makes up the majority of audio consumed over smart speakers, and smart speakers only account for 14 percent of total radio listening, the balance of power is likely to move away from stations and towards platforms over time. This shift presents a risk to the radio industry, which the Government needs to address if the industry is to continue to thrive in the long-term. We strongly support the inclusion of provisions on radio in the Media Bill, and recommend the Government includes the Bill, with these measures, in the legislative programme for the next session of this Parliament.
Government Response Summary
The government welcomes the Committee's view and agrees on the importance of supporting UK radio and updating the regulatory framework through the Media Bill's provisions. However, the response does not explicitly commit to including the Bill in the legislative programme for the next parliamentary session, which was the specific ask.
Paragraph Reference:
24
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Government welcomes the Committee’s view. We, like the Committee, strongly support UK radio. Radio remains a strong, trusted medium in the UK, delivering significant public value; 88 percent of the population (aged 15+) tunes in every week.6 We also recognise the mutually beneficial partnerships between radio and new platforms through which listeners can access radio. We want to see that continue. Smart speaker listening now represents 14 percent of radio listening, up from zero in 2016 (when the first of these devices entered the UK market).7 These provisions are about updating the regulatory framework as listening habits continue to shift rapidly, ultimately to secure the future of those mutually beneficial arrangements.