Ofcom Targets Pay TV Regulation

The official broadcast regulator, Ofcom has announced its proposed priorities for 2011.

These include a need to promote effective and sustainable competition to include ensuring fair and effective competition in the delivery of pay TV services and promoting competition and investment in superfast broadband.

Ofcom also proposes to promote the efficient use of public assets to include the release of prime chunks of spectrum and safeguarding the necessary frequencies for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Overall, in 2011/12 Ofcom will take on new responsibilities as defined by Parliamen and will aim to meet its objectives for significantly less money as part of the overall reduction in public expenditure.

This follows a major review of Ofcom's expenditure which will deliver a 28.2% saving on its current funding cap over a four year period, with the majority of the savings delivered in 2011/12.

These substantial savings are possible as a result of changes in legislation, savings in the costs of administration and overheads, and changes to the approach to regulation in some key areas. These changes are being consulted on where appropriate.

Ofcom believes that with these changes that have been planned and prepared over a period of more than six months, the organisation's duties and priorities can still be met with a reduced cost base.

Other priorities for the year include helping communications markets work for consumers.

This includes ensuring communications providers provide clear information so that broadband customers can make informed choices and enable consumers to switch providers easily.

It will also provide appropriate assurance to audiences on standards. This includes streamlining the broadcasting standards procedures and considering new regulatory approaches to content regulation.

Ofcom will also contribute to and implement public policy defined by Parliament.

This includes preparing to take over the regulation of postal services, implementing the provisions around online copyright infringement and preparing to report to the Government on the licensing arrangements for Channel 3 and 5 when the current licences expire in 2014.

(BMcC)