Conservative MP Julian Knight, who chairs the UK House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, has had the party whip removed “with immediate effect” after a complaint was made to the Metropolitan Police, the party has said. Knight has represented Solihull in the West Midlands since 2015. A spokeswoman for Chief Whip Simon […]

The UK House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee is to question BBC executives on the proposed cuts to local radio provision. The corporation announced plans at the end October 2022 for greater programme sharing among local stations, with a shift in investment away from broadcasting to digital content. Overall, the changes will result in […]

The UK House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee is to hold an inquiry into the operation, risks, and benefits of NFTs and the wider Blockchain. MPs are expected to consider whether NFT investors, especially vulnerable speculators, are put at risk by the market. The inquiry may also look into the wider benefits […]

Lord Grade would bring considerable experience and knowledge of the media sector to the role of Ofcom Chair but may need to be supported with advice on social media and online safety to properly carry out the job, MPs have suggested. In a Report published following a pre-appointment hearing with the Government’s preferred candidate on […]

Following correspondence from the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the appointment of a new Chair for Ofcom, DCMS Committee Chair Julian Knight MP criticised the continuing delays to the process. “Another week, another new instalment of suspense in the ridiculous soap opera that is the race to […]

Julian Knight, Chair of the UK House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, has criticised the extension to the deadline for applications for the post of Chair of broadcast and comms regulator Ofcom. “The search for the next Chair of Ofcom goes on in a recruitment process that would put a reality TV […]

Only one in 20 of those aged 18-30 said that they watched any BBC television channels live every day, compared with close to half of the over-65s, according to a YouGov survey for the Sunday Times. The survey found that more than a third of under-30s said they “never” watched any BBC programming live, compared […]

The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the UK’s lower legislative chamber, the House of Commons has warned that draft Government legislation on online harms would fail to prevent the sharing of some of the most “insidious” images of child abuse and violence against women and girls. Scrutiny by the DCMS Committee of the […]

MPs on the UK House of Commons, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee have confirmed the appointment of Richard Sharp as the new Chair of the BBC Board following his appearance before the Committee. In a Report, Committee members say they were impressed by Sharp’s understanding of the business, the need to deliver on public […]

The UK House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee is warning the Government that it risks failing to meet its revised-down target for gigabit-capable broadband in the face of considerable challenges to infrastructure roll-out. Evidence to the ‘Broadband and the road to 5G inquiry’ found little confidence that nationwide gigabit-capable broadband by 2025 […]