Home       About       Contact
Media

Chapters

  1. Salaries and Taxation
  2. Pensions
  3. Benefits
  4. Health and Care
  5. Education
  6. Housing
  7. Employment
  8. Trades Unions and Labour Laws
  9. Trade and Industry
  10. Transport
  11. Energy
  12. Environment
  13. Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Rural Life
  14. Crime
  15. Legal System
  16. Immigration and Asylum
  17. Local Government
  18. Devolution and Regional Government
  19. Parliament and Democracy
  20. Media
  21. Freedom of Information and Privacy
  22. Northern Ireland
  23. European Union
  24. Foreign Policy
  25. Defence and Disarmament
  26. Conclusions
 Preamble

Chapters

  1. Salaries and Taxation
  2. Pensions
  3. Benefits
  4. Health and Care
  5. Education
  6. Housing
  7. Employment
  8. Trades Unions and Labour Laws
  9. Trade and Industry
  10. Transport
  11. Energy
  12. Environment
  13. Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Rural Life
  14. Crime
  15. Legal System
  16. Immigration and Asylum
  17. Local Government
  18. Devolution and Regional Government
  19. Parliament and Democracy
  20. Media
  21. Freedom of Information and Privacy
  22. Northern Ireland
  23. European Union
  24. Foreign Policy
  25. Defence and Disarmament
  26. Conclusions
Under the Tories, ownership of the main media outlets in press and broadcasting became concentrated in fewer hands, and many of these were foreign companies. Under leaders appointed by the Tories, the BBC was submitted to market disciplines and encouraged to commercialise its services and work with private partners, but its licence was extended to 2001 and its Royal Charter to 2006. The Broadcasting Act imposed quality standards on terrestrial TV channels (and originally requested them of cable TV) but not on Sky TV, which also had monopoly rights over the encryption system for satellite TV. Much high profile sports coverage went to Sky, who could outbid other broadcasters. The freedom of the press to collect information and to keep their sources confidential was restricted.
Labour policy was:
1 To prevent any one company owning a significant proportion of our press and broadcasting  
2 To limit the foreign ownership of our newspapers or TV (?)  
3 To defend public service broadcasting, so that the range of programmes was not narrowed by commercial considerations  
4 To extend the same standards to cable and Sky and end Sky's monopoly rights  
5 To end privatisation threats to the BBC and continue funding it by the licence fee  
6 To establish a statutory press commission and give a right of reply to those misrepresented by the press  
7 To protect the rights of journalists and the freedom of the press  
8 To stop distributors discriminating against small circulation papers and magazines  
In fact under New Labour:
1 Rules on media ownership were further relaxed(?) Policy shift to right of old Conservatives
2 There were plans (?) to scrap all rules on foreign media ownership Policy shift to right of old Conservatives
3 Broadcasters other than the BBC were allowed to regulate their own media standards Policy shift to right of old Conservatives
4 The BBC escaped dependence on Sky's satellite and Ofcom ruled that Sky should reduce its charges to other broadcasters but no quality standards were imposed Pledge partially carried out
5 Large parts of the BBC were privatised, licence fee money was used to fund digital switchover and it was proposed that some of it should go to its private rivals while "the BBC's size, its remit and its impact" were reduced to give more space for the private sector Policy shift to right of old Conservatives
6 Statutory regulation was rejected, bugging by journalists was inadequately investigated and nothing was done on right to reply Left as under the Conservatives
7 The police were allowed to "restrict or monitor" journalists' work e.g. at demonstrations We need more information on the outcome of this pledge. Can you help?
8 No action was taken on distribution rights Left as under the Conservatives
In addition:
Bullet point Some important sports events must still be shown on terrestrial TV, but others continued to be lost to Sky  
Bullet point Bids by broadcasters to buy football clubs, and so "sit on both sides of the table" when broadcasting rights were negotiated, were blocked after pressure by fans, etc.  
Bullet point Internet services were greatly extended in schools and libraries  

 

 Bullet point 

Product placement was allowed on TV 

 

Home       About       Contact