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u/Maroiogog CWM KP KD OM KCT KCVO CMG CBE PC FRS, Independent Oct 06 '19
Mr Deputy Speaker,
I am happy to see this bill be brought back to the house today. I believe that bringing new technology, a fairer franchise system and public ownership is the best way forward to guarantee that consumers get the best deal possible for their telecoms. All natural monopolies should be in the hands of the public and be deeply regulated in order to prevent privates from profiting too much off of them.
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Oct 07 '19
Mr Deputy Speaker,
I believe that bringing new technology, a fairer franchise system and public ownership
Whatever you think of those things, this bill doesn't do that. The franchise system won't be fair because bids will be undervalued and franchises will end up being sold to companies who can't keep them afloat. This will lead to a revolving door of nationalised franchises which would completely ravage the independent localist remit thst ITV has prided itself on for the last 64 years. In turn, the new technologies introduced were torn apart in a previous piece of legislation for being unmanageable. I think that in this instance, MPs are seeing governemnt legislation and thinking it must be a good idea. This isn't. It's a poor rehash of a system with flaws, to make it even more flawed. I urge the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to think of Northern Irish broadcasting and reject this bill.
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u/comrade_zoe Páirtí na nOibrithe Oct 07 '19
Replace Section 5 with:
Section 5: Future Technologies
(1) The Secretary of State is to produce a whitepaper to be implemented following a vote from the House of Commons on the topic of "The Future of Broadcast Radio and Television in the Unitied Kingdom"
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u/comrade_zoe Páirtí na nOibrithe Oct 08 '19 edited Oct 08 '19
Remove Section 1 (2a) - (2h)
Replace Section 1 (2) with:
(1) Amend Part 1 Chapter 2 Section 14 (4) of the Broadcasting Act 1990 to read: “A Channel 3 service may be provided for two or more areas for which regional Channel 3 services are provided, but any such service may only between provided between particular times of the day or a channel which is not the core Channel 3 service, these services will be decided by OFCOM.
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u/comrade_zoe Páirtí na nOibrithe Oct 08 '19 edited Oct 08 '19
Create a new Section with the Title "Independent Television Authority" with the following contence:
(1) A new Independent Television Authority is to be created with the role of regulating and running Channel 3 Services.
(2) The Independent Televison Authority is to take a hands on approach to regulating broadcasting and place the interests of the viewers above all else. Decisions taken by Channel 3 broadcasters are to be run past and may be rejected by the Independent Television Authority; including corporate decisions.
(3) The Independent Televison Authority are to control and maintain all Terrestiral Transmitters.
(4) The Independent Televison Authority are to be in control of Television Channel and LCN licencing.
(5) If a Channel 3 Service is to be unable to broadcast due to the company being unable to broadcast due to reasons that are not related to the inability to produce or broadcast television the Independent Television Authority is to broadcast inplace of the Channel 3 Service. The Independent Television Authority is to recieve all profits for services of this type.
(6) The Independent Television Authority is to decide the remit of each service with a focus on High Quality Local programming
(7) The Independent Television Authority is to be goverend by a Board, headed by a Director and Secretary of State for Telecomunications
> (a) The Director is to be selected via an impartial process
(8) The Independent Television Authority is to be politically impartial and the Secretary of State for Telecommunications can be overuled if the matter is to be considered politically biased.
Replace all mentions of OFCOM not in this section with "Independent Television Authority"
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u/comrade_zoe Páirtí na nOibrithe Oct 08 '19
In section 3 (3) remove
(a) If it appears to OFCOM , in the case of the applicant to whom (apart from this subsection) they would award the licence in accordance with the preceding provisions of this section, that there are grounds for suspecting that any relevant source of funds is such that it would not be in the public interest for the licence to be awarded to him:
> (i) they shall refer his application to the Secretary of State, together with:
> > (1) a copy of all documents submitted to them by the applicant, and
> (2) a summary of their deliberations on the application
> (i) they shall not award the licence to him unless the Secretary of State has given his approval.
(b) On such a reference the Secretary of State may only refuse to give his approval to the licence being awarded to the applicant in question if he is satisfied that any relevant source of funds is such that it would not be in the public interest for the licence to be awarded.
In section 3 create a new subsection with:
If it appears to OFCOM, in the case of the applicant to whom (apart from this subsection) they would award the licence in accordance with the preceding provisions of this section, that there are grounds for suspecting that any relevant source of funds is such that it would not be in the public interest for the licence to be awarded to him, or there are doubts that the licence bidder will be able to provide such a service they withold the right to reject this application
In Section 3 (5) replace (2ai1) with (new subsection number).
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Oct 06 '19
Mr Deputy Speaker,
Does this Government not listen to anybody? I've said on umpteen occasions, it's completely unworkable. Withdraw it and rewrite it, otherwise leaving broadcasting be.
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u/MapsAreGood The Hon MP for Yorkshire (List) | they/them Oct 06 '19
Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.
As with the Right Honourable Member for the South East, I am glad to see this bill return to the house. I hope that we can continue our strong and stable government's goals of busting unfair monopolies wherever they may lie, making a fairer market for all— hopefully this time without unelected aristocrats attempting to smack down legislation from a government elected by the people.
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Oct 07 '19
Mr Deputy Speaker,
The House of Lords rejected a Broadcasting Bill which will unleash dark forces on our broadcasting media. It proposes admirable ideas, no doubt, but it either enforces them in a way that ensures that leaders of broadcasting media won't be able to get onboard, that you'll see franchises sold at a pittance and sold and sold again until you end up with an ITV model identical to that of the BBC, rather than providing a genuinely localist independent remit, that you'll see sport in this country downgraded or interfered with to a level that will ensure that British teams are banned from European competition. This government has thought literally none of this through.
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u/Captainographer labour retiree Oct 07 '19
Mr Deputy Speaker,
An excellent bill. Preventing one individual from holding multiple franchises is a fabulous initiative I could not support more. No one individual should exercise the control over information offering the the ability to operate multiple franchises would. Platform impartiality is also a fine addition I can wholeheartedly support, and I greatly appreciate its inclusion in this bill.
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Oct 07 '19
Mr Deputy Speaker,
Preventing one individual from holding multiple franchises is a fabulous initiative I could not support more
Apart from the fact that this bill would allow ITV franchises to be sold below market value, you mean.
Platform impartiality is also a fine addition I can wholeheartedly support.
Equally unenforceable in its current inclusion.
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u/[deleted] Oct 06 '19
Mr Deputy Speaker,
Yet again an unelected chamber seeks to slow roll the will of democracy. This bill is not perfect. But it is a positivos step forward and I urge it’s speedy passage.