Concern At Possible Draft Communications Bill Delay

The Radio Magazine has claiming that the Goverment has “failed the industry again” because it appears that the release date of the draft Communications Bill, expected to be later this month, could be put back until after local government elections in May.

The magazine claims that the Government is concerned that new cross-media ownership rules may be too controversial to release before elections. It goes on to say that “It is reported that the government is concerned that if it formally announces it will put restraints on Rupert Murdoch from acquiring a much larger stake of the media industry, his newspapers could ‘turn against’ Labour in the run-up to the local elections.”

Culture secretary Tessa Jowell, says the report, has failed to come up with any firm proposals yet, despite the consultation paper launched in November last year (see Jowell Announces Communications Consultation).

A spokesperson for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) today pointed out that no exact date has ever been named for the release of the draft Bill, and that the expectation that it would be the end of April, as intimated by Jowell at a Select Committee in March (see Government Reiterates Cross-Media Relaxation Plans), still stood.

DCMS: 020 7211 6200 www.culture.gov.uk

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