[cma-l] Second Reading Localism Bill: House of Lords debates, 7 June 2011, 3:50 pm

[CMA-L]

Graham James, The Bishop of Norwich:

The positive features of this Bill - neighbourhood plans, forums and
development orders, as well as any potential for further directly
elected mayors and local referenda - all require lively agencies of
local democracy. These have traditionally included local newspapers
and, in the past generation, local radio. The dramatic decline in
advertising revenue in local newspapers has made that sector very
fragile. It has meant that the number of young journalists cutting
their teeth in the local and regional press has been dramatically
reduced. Some cuts in BBC local radio now seem inevitable with the
freezing of the licence fee. Local and regional commercial radio now
carries very little news at all. Only community radio, staffed largely
by volunteers, beats the trend and could serve the purposes of this
Bill well if sufficiently funded.

Hansard Source:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldhansrd/text/110607-0001.htm#11060733000156

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