Comments on: The power of Murdoch http://www.touchstoneblog.org.uk/2009/07/the-power-of-murdoch/ Policy news and comment from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:09:41 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Charlie Marks http://www.touchstoneblog.org.uk/2009/07/the-power-of-murdoch/comment-page-1/#comment-2749 Charlie Marks Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:30:08 +0000 http://www.touchstoneblog.org.uk/?p=3175#comment-2749 Ofcom wants Sky to allow other broadcasting networks like Virgin and Freeview to show its movie channels to ensure competition between tv networks. Another reason for Cameron to want to castrate Ofcom. Ofcom wants Sky to allow other broadcasting networks like Virgin and Freeview to show its movie channels to ensure competition between tv networks. Another reason for Cameron to want to castrate Ofcom.

]]> By: Calvin Allen http://www.touchstoneblog.org.uk/2009/07/the-power-of-murdoch/comment-page-1/#comment-2741 Calvin Allen Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:12:40 +0000 http://www.touchstoneblog.org.uk/?p=3175#comment-2741 Away from your topic, Nigel, I know, but the reference to Ofcom drew me in! This was undoubtedly a bit of unashamed populism from Cameron. Aside of Ofcom being set up by Labour, as a 'super-regulator' drawing together the powers of five previous regulators in the broadly-defined communications industry (and thus ticking quite a few boxes for him), Ofcom was, however, a slightly strange target to pick on. Firstly, Ofcom has been largely successful at bringing together policy initiatives previously the remit of somewhat disconnected others - surely a step forward in terms of joined-up regulatory thinking. And, secondly, the media issues within the Digital Britain initiative that Cameron highlighted are clearly the policy responsibility of the government departments supervising Digital Britain (i.e. DCMS and BIS), not Ofcom. DCMS and BIS commissioned the initiative jointly to review what action needs to be taken to achieve a Digital Britain and, on the whole, this has been a pretty well-run, and wide, public consultation. But it is the departments that retain control of the plicy agenda. Which really raises the question of how much Cameron understands of Digital Britain - and how much of it he would support: and, somewhere down the line, that may well engender an interesting debate around the lines of division. Away from your topic, Nigel, I know, but the reference to Ofcom drew me in! This was undoubtedly a bit of unashamed populism from Cameron. Aside of Ofcom being set up by Labour, as a ’super-regulator’ drawing together the powers of five previous regulators in the broadly-defined communications industry (and thus ticking quite a few boxes for him), Ofcom was, however, a slightly strange target to pick on. Firstly, Ofcom has been largely successful at bringing together policy initiatives previously the remit of somewhat disconnected others – surely a step forward in terms of joined-up regulatory thinking.

And, secondly, the media issues within the Digital Britain initiative that Cameron highlighted are clearly the policy responsibility of the government departments supervising Digital Britain (i.e. DCMS and BIS), not Ofcom. DCMS and BIS commissioned the initiative jointly to review what action needs to be taken to achieve a Digital Britain and, on the whole, this has been a pretty well-run, and wide, public consultation. But it is the departments that retain control of the plicy agenda.

Which really raises the question of how much Cameron understands of Digital Britain – and how much of it he would support: and, somewhere down the line, that may well engender an interesting debate around the lines of division.

]]>