Source · Select Committees · Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Recommendation 12
12
Rejected
Paragraph: 50
Amend Bill to include on-demand and online content from Ofcom-regulated broadcasters.
Recommendation
The Government’s approach to on-demand and online-only content appears at odds with market trends. Listeners are increasingly choosing to access content on- demand or listen to online-only stations and there is merit in including these forms of content provision within the scope of the Bill. We agree that the Government should limit the Bill’s protections to Ofcom-regulated stations. However, we consider that it is possible to extend the provisions to these stations’ on-demand and online- only content without extending such protections to non-Ofcom regulated content producers as well. Limiting this provision would ensure that any extension of this legislation would only benefit those stations that abide by Ofcom broadcasting standards. We recommend the Government amend the Bill to include on-demand and online-only content from Ofcom-regulated broadcasters.
Government Response Summary
The government rejected the recommendation, stating it does not agree there is a policy case for intervention at this stage, as the current measures are targeted and proportionate given live radio is still the main consumption method.
Paragraph Reference:
50
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
The Government recognises the views of broadcasters on this issue, but does not agree that there is a policy case for intervention here. The measures in this Part of the Bill are being put in place to protect the collective public value of the live content provided by the BBC and licensed commercial and community radio stations - as underpinned by the regulatory framework within which those stations operate. We acknowledge that the radio market is evolving. The Bill will retain the flexibility to adapt to that evolution as the evidence base grows as to the dynamics of the on-demand market and the manner in which the public value brought by on-demand content is secured. At this stage, however, and in view of the fact that live radio still represents the main way in which content produced by stations is consumed by listeners, these measures represent a targeted and proportionate intervention.