The UK government has launched a public consultation on the future ownership of Channel 4, as part of its review of public service broadcasting. The consultation will consider both the ownership and remit of Channel 4. The government says the current strength and variety of the UK’s TV production sector is in part thanks to […]
As part of an ongoing strategic review of the UK public service broadcasting system, the UK government will review the ownership model and remit of Channel 4 and consider tightening regulation of SVoD services such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) says that with a […]
Reports have emerged that the UK government plans to regulate global OTT services in the same way as linear broadcasters. The plans would see broadcast regulator Ofcom extend the same control over on-demand services, allowing it to rule on complaints over bias and inaccuracy, for example. It is anticipated that the proposals will feature in […]
The UK parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee is to address the future of commercial PSB Channel 4 following the confirmation that privatisation is an option being considered by the Government. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told the Committee in May 2021 that its privatisation was under examination in a review of public service broadcasting. […]
UK digital infrastructure provider Openreach has outlined plans to build ultrafast, ultra-reliable Full Fibre broadband to at least three million more homes and businesses in some of the nation’s hardest-to-serve communities – meaning fewer homes and businesses will require taxpayer subsidies to upgrade. The company’s updated build plan will be fundamental to the UK Government […]
Some 120 public figures, including many from the UK film and TV industries, have written an open letter to Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, complaining that a government panel on the future of public service broadcasting meets in secret, with no undertaking to publish its final report. In the […]
UK culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee that privatisation of Channel 4 was “on the table” as an option to “provide a sustainable future for the broadcaster”. He said that th “rapidly changing broadcasting landscape”, and the growth of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, meant sweeping changes were […]
More British film and screen content will reach an international stage thanks to a £7 million (€8m) UK Global Screen Fund launched by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden. Developed in partnership with the British Film Institute (BFI), the fund will support the UK independent screen sector to export their productions to markets around the world, helping […]
A tough new UK regulator to help make sure tech giants such as Facebook and Google cannot exploit their market dominance to crowd out competition and stifle innovation online has launched. The Digital Markets Unit (DMU), based in the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), will oversee plans to give consumers more choice and control over […]
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden have met with broadband industry leaders and praised the sector for creating more than 22,000 jobs over the last year as forecasts for gigabit rollout are revised further upwards. They welcomed the firms’ work to help the nation build back better from the pandemic with […]