Lord Lucasasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are confident that British Digital Broadcasting will not be subject to the same problems, such as the "bundling" of programmes and price margin squeezes, as the cable companies have experienced in securing programming from BSkyB.
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyThe question of premium channel bundling at the retail level is currently being considered by the Independent Television Commission. The Office of Fair Trading has carried out a review of BSkyB's position in the wholesale pay-TV market and sought undertakings relating to the terms of supply from BSkyB. The Director-General of Fair Trading keeps the market under close review and will be working with the ITC to ensure that similar conditions will apply to digital terrestrial television. More generally, the Government are confident that the regulators have the powers and the will to ensure that digital television develops in a climate of fair and effective competition.