2 Matthew Offord debates involving the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport

Tue 21st Nov 2023

Media Bill

Matthew Offord Excerpts
2nd reading
Tuesday 21st November 2023

(1 year, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lucy Frazer Portrait Lucy Frazer
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I am always happy to discuss matters with my right hon. and learned Friend. This provision will help to protect radio more broadly through the smart speaker provision and there are other measures on protecting. The Government understand the issue of online local news, which is very important, and Ofcom has concluded proposals in relation to its role, but there are always matters we can look at further.

Matthew Offord Portrait Dr Matthew Offord (Hendon) (Con)
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What is contained in this Bill to address the concern that, in the digital age, the BBC licence fee is simply unsustainable?

Cairncross Review

Matthew Offord Excerpts
Tuesday 12th February 2019

(5 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Jeremy Wright Portrait Jeremy Wright
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Yes, I agree with my hon. Friend. I am grateful to him for hosting and chairing the meeting that gave me the opportunity to meet those remarkable reporters. As he said, they do good work, they face unfair attack and criticism for it and we should take every opportunity to stand up for them.

Matthew Offord Portrait Dr Matthew Offord (Hendon) (Con)
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When I worked in the policy and strategy department at the BBC, I tasked myself with answering the question of whether the licence fee was sustainable in a digital age. I came to the conclusion that it was not, and others did as well. It was known within the BBC the effect that this was having on local journalism. Is the Secretary of State also aware that the BBC has tentacles in other areas such as BBC Worldwide, Radio 1 and BBC Films, which are all competing with the commercial sector? While we are talking about journalism today, we will, in the future, be talking about other areas.

Jeremy Wright Portrait Jeremy Wright
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My hon. Friend raises much broader questions about the BBC and its place in the broadcasting landscape that I know he will recognise. The problem that the Cairncross review is focused on, which is the diminution of local news outlets of the traditional kind, is a problem that is not restricted to the UK where the BBC is pre-eminent, but exists across the world in other jurisdictions where the BBC has no similar role.