WHO REGULATES THE REGULATORS?
- dyounger6
- Mar 15
- 2 min read
THE SAD STORY OF SCOTTISH BROADCASTING
Some of you may be aware of a crowdfunding campaign initiated by David Henry.
David, a member of SSRG, has been working for several years on a project to bring local TV licences in Scotland into Scottish ownership and he has secured interest and potential backing from several investors together with a detailed business plan. These broadcast stations would be available on Freeview, Sky and streaming services and in particular there is a strong emphasis on quality news reporting in addition to general entertainment. This could be everything Scottish viewers are crying out for.
Currently these licences are controlled by an outfit called That’s TV whose offer is, to say the least, terrible and with news content far below the minimum required by statute both in quality and quantity. Given the broadcaster’s delinquency, removal of their licences should be simple and incontrovertible but there is a problem.
Ofcom, the regulator charged with enforcing these regulations and which itself has a statutory duty to do so, is ignoring all attempts to have ownership of these licences revoked, forcing David to launch a legal case, hence the crowdfunder.
We should be very concerned about the failure of a regulator such as Ofcom to do the job that the law obliges them to and, worse still, there appears to be no system within government to make them do what their members are paid to do. Ofcom are just one of many quangos, privately run organisations which are charged with doing the jobs that government ought to be doing, leaving it to individuals and local organisations to try as they might to take them to task.
Returning to David Henry’s case, we cannot recommend more strongly that readers of this blog reach into their pockets and contribute to this crowdfunder. Links are below together with links to the uniquely awful That’s TV to give you a flavour of what David and others want to change.
Thank you.
Comments