The NUJ has told Ofcom that it should use its regulatory powers to secure the future of public service broadcasting.
The statement comes in a response to the communication regulator’s major consultation on the future of public service broadcasting. The submission makes it clear that the union recognises the major changes that are taking place across the media sector, but argues that a new regulatory model can be developed for the digital age.
The document makes the case against top-slicing of the BBC licence fee, arguing that it would break the vital relationship between licence payer and the BBC. Instead it calls on Ofcom to use regulatory measures such as gifted spectrum to secure guarantees from ITV and other public service broadcasters.
The union believes that this is an important time in the debate around public service broadcasting. In its submission, the union states:
“The NUJ believes this PSB Review presents Ofcom with a critical moment in which to fulfill its statutory duty to maintain and strengthen public service broadcasting. In the period since the last review, and on Ofcom's watch, PSB content has declined in a number of key areas including regional programming and children's programming. Other genres including local and regional news are now threatened. We believe Ofcom should act in a decisive manner to protect and preserve PSB for the future in the interest of the citizen.”
You can download a full copy of the NUJ’s submission here
27 June 2008