Commercial Television Channels

HC Deb 06 June 1985 vol 80 cc213-4W

56. Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to allocate additional commercial television channels.

Mr. Giles Shaw

Under international agreement five new channels of television are available for reception by direct broadcasting by satellite in the United Kingdom.

Subject to the satisfactory conclusion of current negotiations between the potential programme makers and the satellite providers, the Government will allocate three channels to the Satellite Broadcasting Board to be set up under Part II of the Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984. The timing of the allocation of other channels, including those to be available for allocation by the Independent Broadcasting Authority under the Act, has not been decided.