United Kingdom

[GB] Television regulator publishes highly favourable performance review of independent television news

IRIS 1996-2:1/21

Tony Prosser

University of Bristol Law School

The Independent Television Commission, which regulates UK private commercial television, has issued a performance review of Independent Television News (ITN), the provider of news for the Channel 3 network. The review concludes that ITN has provided a well-resourced, authorative and attractive news service, meeting the requirements of the Broadcasting Act 1990, that news programmes should be of high quality. It rejected complaints from some Channel 3 companies that too high a proportion of output was foreign news, that there was bias towards news from London and the South-East of the UK, or that output had drifted down-market. The review confirms the position of ITN as the nominated news provider for Channel 3. A further review will be undertaken in 1998.

ITN is currently owned by Carlton Communications and the Granada Group with a 36% holding each; Reuters owns 18% and Scottish Television and Anglia 5% each. The Broadcasting Act prohibits holdings of more than 20%. Those who owned more, were required to reduce their holdings before the end of 1995 (Prof. Tony Prosser, University of Glasgow School of Law)