Voice of the Listener and Viewer (VLV) represents the citizen and consumer interest
in broadcasting and works for quality and diversity in British broadcasting.

The announcement twenty-four hours earlier that Granada and Carlton Television planned to merge greatly increased Media interest in the event.  Donald Emslie, Chief Executive of Scottish Television, owned by Scottish Media Group (SMG) who also own Grampian TV and the Herald and Herald on Sunday newspapers, made a strong case for STV to continue as an independent company outside the proposed new company,  and for the need for OFCOM to support production in the nations and regions of the UK.

With SMG selling their newspaper interests, a successful bid by the Barclay Brothers and Andrew Neil, owners and publisher of the Scotsman in Edinburgh, could deprive  Scotland of much diversity and plurality. Some of the subsequent debate focused on the need for the Communications Bill to take full account of the parameters of local and regional (cross) media ownership issues. In contrast, Richard Findlay, Chief Executive of Scottish Radio Holdings, argued against red tape and regulation and in favour of a commercial free market in radio broadcasting.  He and Donald Emslie favoured the lifting of restrictions on media ownership.

Mark Leishman, Head of Public Policy, BBC Nations & Regions, (formerly Secretary of BBC Scotland) said that the BBC, having its own terms of reference, would act in tandem with OFCOM. 

John Angus Mackay, Director of the Gaelic Broadcasting Committee, drew attention to the needs of the Gaelic community and the importance of culture and community values which went beyond commercial imperatives. Interestingly, funding for Gaelic Broadcasting comes under the auspices of the Scottish Parliament and cultural policy, unlike media policy, which is reserved to Westminster.

The anomalies in this situation were addressed by Professor Neil Blain of Paisley University and Jeremy Mitchell, Chair of the Scottish Advisory Committee on Telecommunications.  The latter was quite clear about the need for requirements to be written into the Bill: for example, the need for OFCOM to have a Scottish office and an independent Scottish advisory committee.  Words from ministers (however well meant) were no substitute for legal requirements.  Ministers changed, the Treasury could cut budgets and an Edinburgh office might be closed.

Professor Blain and other speakers, such as Richard Neville Editor of Business AM and Jay Crawford, Programme Director of Real Radio, owned by the Guardian Media Group, were also concerned that the distinctive voice of Scotland should be heard in the new regime, although there were understandable differences in how this might be achieved. 

Jocelyn Hay and John Gray respectively chaired the morning and afternoon sessions. The event, with representation from Wales, provided clear evidence of how VLV can promote debate about issues which affect not simply the UK audience, but also audiences in the nations and regions. 

At the end of the conference it was agreed that VLV should host a further public forum on the Bill in Edinburgh in late November.

For further details contact Robert Beveridge, School of Communication Arts, Napier University, Edinburgh. Email:  r.beveridge@napier.ac.uk

Telephone: 01474 352835.
Fax: 01474 351112.
E-mail: vlv@btinternet.com

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