Plurality And Diversity Of Ownership In The Media

EDM number 1431 in 1997-98, proposed by Nicholas Winterton on 15/06/1998.

That this House endorses the Government policy to promote plurality and diversity of ownership in the media industries; welcomes the recent success of Talk Radio, which following a failed original dumbed-down shock jock format has now developed a successful niche in the broadcast spectrum providing an opportunity for millions of listeners to participate in debate on public policy and current affairs; notes that this new approach and the promotion of the concept of democracy direct has dramatically increased the size of the station's audience and corresponding advertising revenues; views with concern the reports that News International/BskyB companies are now included in a consortium mounting a bid for the station; notes that a successful bid would give Mr Rupert Murdoch and his associates control of one of only three independent national radio stations in the United Kingdom, and of the only such station providing a speech-based output; observes that the consortium, if successful, would also be guaranteed access to digital capacity and would have the potential to exercise control over the digital commercial radio multiplex; believes that such a major move further to consolidate Mr Murdoch's influence in the United Kingdom media industries should not be allowed to proceed without further public and parliamentary debate; and urges the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to liaise with the President of the Board of Trade to prevent such a bid proceeding unless and until the implications for competition policy have been fully considered by this House.

This motion has been signed by a total of 20 MPs.