APPENDIX 9
Memorandum submitted by the Voice of the
Listener and Viewer
COMMUNICATIONS
Voice of the Listener and Viewer (VLV) welcomes
the Committee's new inquiry into the prospects for a draft Bill
on Communications which is expected in the Spring of 2002. VLV
will be submitting written evidence before the deadline of 11
January 2002 and would be glad to give additional oral evidence
to the Committee on the following issues:
1. VLV is one of the leading consumer advocates
on digital issues and has concerns in regard to the wider issues
of the impact of technological developments on data protection
and privacy, intellectual property and copyright issues in the
individual's fair use of broadcast and internet material. VLV
is a founder member of the European Campaign for Fair Use in Copyright,
has co-ordinated campaigning at European level by its partners
in the European Alliance of Listeners' and Viewers' Associations.
VLV also brought together leading UK and European experts in the
field to discuss the issues involved at the last three of its
annual international conferences at the Royal Society of Arts
in London. VLV has, also raised the issue of walled gardens, data
protection and privacy at its international conferences and its
annual conferences on children and television in 1999 and 2000.
2. Issues raised by the paving Bill currently
before Parliament, especially in relation to strengthening the
representation of the public interest and safeguarding the interests
of citizens and consumers. VLV does not consider that the paving
Bill provides adequate recognition of the need to recognise the
public interest in broadcasting or adequate safeguards for the
citizen and consumer interests involved. In our view, reliance
on competition and the market will not prove satisfactory substitute
for regulation.
3. The development and promotion of digital
broadcasting, including local/community services and radio. VLV
considers that the Government must be much more proactive in promoting
the benefits of switching from analogue to digital technology,
especially in promoting the digital terrestrial television platform,
the only platform with the capability of reaching the 99 per cent
plus of the population which currently has access to analogue
services. Unless the government plays a more active part in promoting
and facilitating the entry of manufacturers and service providers
into the market, it will not achieve its desire of switching from
analogue by 2010. The eight month lead which Britain now enjoys
in digital terrestrial technology will also be lost, together
with the technological benefits which might be translated into
considerable employment and economic gains.
4. Cross-media ownership and concentration
of media ownership.
7 December 2001
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