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 potential impact of TV viewing transitioning to online delivery digital viewing on linear TV broadcasting on her Department's policy aims for local TV.

The Government recognises the important role that local TV continues to play in the wider broadcasting ecosystem. That is why last year we brought forward legislation to enable Ofcom to renew the licences for the local TV multiplex and the 34 individual local TV services. Local TV services provide audiences with local content, including news and current affairs. This contributes to our broader policy objectives of ensuring a strong local media sector and keeping communities informed about local issues and decision making. We will consider how we can further safeguard local TV’s contribution to these objectives through the Local Media Strategy.

However, at the same time we understand that there are challenges facing the local TV sector, as there are all broadcasters. The shift from broadcast to online viewing has led to audiences becoming increasingly fragmented, while increasing distribution costs.

In particular, we are aware of the local TV sector’s concerns that they will not receive prominence for their internet programme services (apps) as part of the new online prominence regime established in the Media Act 2024. At the moment we are not aware of the existence of any local TV on-demand apps. However, we would strongly welcome an app being brought to market that improves the availability of local content. This would enable the Government to consider whether the app should receive prominence under the online prominence regime in the same way local TV services have enjoyed prominence on DTT, satellite and cable platforms since they began broadcasting in 2013.

We are also aware of other distribution challenges that are material to local TV’s future success and sustainability, including the long term future of the DTT platform itself. We have launched a project to consider the future of TV distribution, with local TV representatives included on our stakeholder forum. As part of this work, we will also keep under review the policy framework which requires local TV services to broadcast over DTT as the market and viewer behaviour continues to evolve, subject to broader decisions about the future of DTT.