Draft Local Digital Television Programme Services (Amendment) Order 2024

Seamus Logan Excerpts

Tuesday 17th December 2024 General Committees

[Seamus Logan (Aberdeenshire North and Moray East) (SNP)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stringer. Although I am not a member of the Committee, I have been asked to speak on behalf of the five stations in Scotland. I must declare that I have no commercial interest in this matter other than that sometimes these stations seek interviews from me, as I am sure they do from other MPs.

It is critical to avoid this process becoming unduly burdensome and damaging to local operators. If I heard the Minister correctly, she said that there would be a 12-month extension prior to the 10-year contract. If that is the case, it is very welcome. These local TV services deliver local news bulletins that provide a real voice for their communities.

As everyone in the room probably knows, people are getting their news from very many different sources these days, and not just the mainstream platforms. As was expected at the time of the original licensing process, 10 years ago, these news bulletins are often funded by advertising revenues secured in non-news entertainment programming shown by the services. The aim should be for Ofcom to use this renewal process to protect the viability of local news and minimise the risk of these services becoming unviable in the new licensing period. The Government should work with the industry to secure a pathway for local TV to launch their apps on internet-connected TV platforms.