[comtv-l] LOCAL TELEVISION – AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH: Press Release 08-08-08

[Jaqui Devereux]

UNITED FOR LOCAL TELEVISION - Press Release

For Immediate Release 08-08-08

LOCAL TELEVISION – AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH

United for Local Television (ULTV), the UK coalition of operators and
campaigners from the commercial, community and municipal local TV
sectors are to complain formally to Ofcom, following Lord Currie’s
speech to the London Business School in July on Ofcom’s review of Public
Service Broadcasting. ULTV is astonished that Lord Currie's speech
failed to acknowledge that around one-third of the public responses to
this consultation supported the extension of 'public service
broadcasting' status to local TV.

One of ULTV's members, David Rushton from the Institute for Local
Television, said:

"It is staggering that an organisation, whose actions affect people and
organisations across the UK and which has a statutory duty to base
decisions both on evidence and the need to take account of the views
expressed to them in public consultation, could ignore up to a third of
the published responses to this consultation."

David continued:

"Lord Currie's speech, entitled Some Inconvenient Truths, have left
members of ULTV, wondering if the 2007 research which Ofcom commissioned
which showed 'Local Television on Freeview' to be the number one new
application demanded by consumers is not the real 'inconvenient truth'
for a regulator perhaps more intent on being the driver rather than
independent adviser on government policy."

"It does seem unreasonable that Lord Currie would omit to mention the
contents of such a large number of the responses to this consultation"
said Jaqui Devereux, Director of the Community Media Association, "It is
clear from his speech that he did at least accept the need to chart a
way forward for a dispassionate and comprehensive analysis of any future
framework for public service broadcasting. However, Lord Currie's
speech, and the recent 'leaking' of the blueprint for public service
broadcasting which seeks to shape the future broadcasting landscape
around the incumbent broadcasters, would suggest that Ofcom is simply
ignoring a significant number of the responses to its consultation. This
falls far short of the service we should expect from a publicly funded
organisation with statutory duties to citizens".

Local TV has received the enthusiastic backing of 160 MPs who have now
signed up to Early Day Motion 1013 demanding it become a public service
universally available to all citizens on Freeview.

"Ofcom is denying the evidence, and this denial has constructed a gaping
hole in which demand and supply meet and shout back at them" concluded
David Rushton. "It is important the local TV sector understands why
Ofcom is not fully and honestly exploring the policy options for local
TV. Lord Currie said he wanted a 'clear sighted debate', well, let's
have it! We've had quite enough of this collective myopia and selective
amnesia."

ENDS

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR LOCAL TV

The current Government has consistently expressed support for the
development of local TV on Freeview but has never acted on its
commitment to implement Section 244 of the CA03 which enables the
Secretary of State to introduce local TV. In March 2005 then
Broadcasting Minister, Lord McIntosh, told the Scottish Local TV Forum:
"We envisage that local television will play a valuable role in keeping
communities informed and in particular, help keep in touch those most
socially isolated members of the community who may not have access, or
are uneasy about using new technology. Local television will also bring
economic benefits to areas in terms of employment and training...."

EARLY DAY MOTION PROGRESS

Progress on the number of MPs signing EDM 1013 can be monitored on the
Parliament website here:

http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=35211&SESSION=891

Contact for further information
Spokesperson		Jaqui Devereux
Address			United for Local Television,
			c/o Community Media Association,
			The Workstation,
			15 Paternoster Row,
			Sheffield
			S1 2BX
Tel 			0114 279 5219
Mob			07899 685 698
Fax 			0114 279 8976
Email			jaqui.devereux at commedia.org.uk