Here, like any business concerned with PR, marketing, and the media both in Manchester and worldwide, we understand that one of the hot topics of the moment is who owns what the public gets to read, see, and hear. Because although New International and the phone hacking scandal was a British issue, the repercussions and implications can be felt internationally.
It came as no surprise then to learn that Ofcom, the body charged with regulating the communications industries, launched a review to assess media plurality in the UK last Friday. The project, which is open for comments from interested parties until November 17th, is an attempt to gain an insight into subjects such as when and how media ownership could be restricted, what situations may arise that should lead to a further review, and, perhaps most importantly, whether the BBC should be included within the guidelines.
Previously it had only been possible for a review to take place when a merger situation arose, meaning when News Corporation moved to take control of BSkyB, and concerns were voiced over the influence Rupert Murdoch’s company would have over UK media consumers existing laws were restrictive. At least that’s what the critics argued, and so Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has asked Ofcom to investigate the issues. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for news of the findings, which will hopefully make for interesting reading now that the most powerful content empire in the land has lost a little of its might.
