Purnell announces taskforce to address shifting media landscape

by Trefor Moss , Media Week 14-Sep-07, 16:20

LONDON - Culture secretary James Purnell has used his speech to the Royal Television Society in Cambridge to outline plans for a new taskforce to help formulate the Government's media policy.

The pace of change within the media industry meant that there needed to be an overhaul of the way in which the sector is regulated, Purnell explained. It was unclear how this would affect the regulator, Ofcom.

The taskforce’s consultations, which will involve leading figures from the media sector, could lead to a new Communications Act, with the existing 2003 act already coming under fire due to the rapidly changing media environment and disaffection with the regulator, Ofcom.

Purnell said that the approach to regulation should move away from “devising the minutiae of guidelines” and centre on a “clear articulation of goals, which can be implemented flexibly."

The three main goals of the taskforce would be to help secure an open market, to secure universal access to high-quality content, and to address content regulation issues.