Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact on local democratic engagement and accountability of reductions in dedicated regional news services in the north of Scotland.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
While the Government recognises STV’s operational independence, it is important that they continue to provide for all audiences in Northern and Central Scotland.
I have recently engaged with STV senior leadership to communicate my disappointment with this outcome and to emphasise the importance of audiences across STV’s licenced areas being able to see the new stories that matter to their local community reflected on screen.
Any changes to STV’s Channel 3 licences are a matter for Ofcom who determine and enforce these licences. As part of their statutory monitoring role, Ofcom has confirmed it plans to monitor the impact of their changes through STV’s annual Statement of Programme Policy and their overall assessment of the public service broadcasters’ delivery of their remit.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on ensuring that changes to regional broadcasting licences do not lead to a disproportionate concentration of news production in central urban areas.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
While the Government recognises STV’s operational independence, it is important that they continue to provide for all audiences in Northern and Central Scotland.
I have recently engaged with STV senior leadership to communicate my disappointment with this outcome and to emphasise the importance of audiences across STV’s licenced areas being able to see the new stories that matter to their local community reflected on screen.
Any changes to STV’s Channel 3 licences are a matter for Ofcom who determine and enforce these licences. As part of their statutory monitoring role, Ofcom has confirmed it plans to monitor the impact of their changes through STV’s annual Statement of Programme Policy and their overall assessment of the public service broadcasters’ delivery of their remit.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will review the public service broadcasting framework to increase protections for local and regional news provision.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
While the Government recognises STV’s operational independence, it is important that they continue to provide for all audiences in Northern and Central Scotland.
I have recently engaged with STV senior leadership to communicate my disappointment with this outcome and to emphasise the importance of audiences across STV’s licenced areas being able to see the new stories that matter to their local community reflected on screen.
Any changes to STV’s Channel 3 licences are a matter for Ofcom who determine and enforce these licences. As part of their statutory monitoring role, Ofcom has confirmed it plans to monitor the impact of their changes through STV’s annual Statement of Programme Policy and their overall assessment of the public service broadcasters’ delivery of their remit.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to ensure that distinct local voices continue to be represented in public service broadcasting.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
While the Government recognises STV’s operational independence, it is important that they continue to provide for all audiences in Northern and Central Scotland.
I have recently engaged with STV senior leadership to communicate my disappointment with this outcome and to emphasise the importance of audiences across STV’s licenced areas being able to see the new stories that matter to their local community reflected on screen.
Any changes to STV’s Channel 3 licences are a matter for Ofcom who determine and enforce these licences. As part of their statutory monitoring role, Ofcom has confirmed it plans to monitor the impact of their changes through STV’s annual Statement of Programme Policy and their overall assessment of the public service broadcasters’ delivery of their remit.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of Ofcom's approval of changes to STV's regional news programming on access to locally relevant news for rural and remote communities.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
While the Government recognises STV’s operational independence, it is important that they continue to provide for all audiences in Northern and Central Scotland.
I have recently engaged with STV senior leadership to communicate my disappointment with this outcome and to emphasise the importance of audiences across STV’s licenced areas being able to see the new stories that matter to their local community reflected on screen.
Any changes to STV’s Channel 3 licences are a matter for Ofcom who determine and enforce these licences. As part of their statutory monitoring role, Ofcom has confirmed it plans to monitor the impact of their changes through STV’s annual Statement of Programme Policy and their overall assessment of the public service broadcasters’ delivery of their remit.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that viewers in areas such as the Highlands and Islands are not impacted by the centralisation of broadcast news production.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
While the Government recognises STV’s operational independence, it is important that they continue to provide for all audiences in Northern and Central Scotland.
I have recently engaged with STV senior leadership to communicate my disappointment with this outcome and to emphasise the importance of audiences across STV’s licenced areas being able to see the new stories that matter to their local community reflected on screen.
Any changes to STV’s Channel 3 licences are a matter for Ofcom who determine and enforce these licences. As part of their statutory monitoring role, Ofcom has confirmed it plans to monitor the impact of their changes through STV’s annual Statement of Programme Policy and their overall assessment of the public service broadcasters’ delivery of their remit.