Plurality Thresholds Lower Than Competition
Leveson Inquiry · An Inquiry into the Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press · Issued 29 November 2012 · Addressed to: UK Government
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
The levels of influence that would give rise to concerns in relation to plurality must be lower, and probably considerably lower, than the levels of concentration that would give rise to competition concerns.
Leveson Inquiry, An Inquiry into the Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press · 29 Nov 2012 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- The Enterprise Act 2002, section 58, provides for media public interest considerations in merger decisions separate from competition thresholds, allowing the Secretary of State to intervene on plurality grounds even where competition thresholds are not met (Enterprise Act 2002, Section 58, legislation.gov.uk).
- No published evidence that a specific quantitative threshold for plurality concerns, set at a level "considerably lower" than competition thresholds as recommended, has been formally adopted has been identified to March 2026.
Sources
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government
The government accepted recommendations on media plurality. Ofcom developed a measurement framework for media plurality in 2015, publishes regular Media Nations reports, and has a full menu of remedies available for plurality concerns. The Enterprise Act 2002 and Communications Act 2003 provide the legislative basis for intervention on media mergers. Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/david-cameron-statement-in-response-to-the-leveson-inquiry-report
UK Government · 29 Nov 2012 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 27 Feb 2025 · Ofcom / Government The principle that plurality concerns arise at lower concentration levels than competition concerns is established in regulatory practice and Ofcom's approach to media plurality. View source → Confirmed Completed
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.