HL Deb 04 December 1990 vol 524 c4WA
Baroness Gardner of Parkes

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are in a position to announce the supplementary ownership rules which he proposes to implement by order under Schedule 2 to the Broadcasting Act 1990.

Earl Ferrers

The ownership rules will contain the following provisions:

  1. (a) it will be permissible for one body to hold a controlling interest in two regional Channel 3 licences as long as they are not both large. Of the 15 regional Channel 3 areas, we shall designate the top nine (in terms of NAR share) as large, and the bottom six as small.
  2. (b) in relation to regional Channel 3, national Channel 3 and Channel 5 licences, where a person owns two licences (in the case of regional Channel 3) or one licence (in the case of national Channel 3 or Channel 5) he will be permitted to have a maximum of a 20 per cent. stake in one further such licence, and a maximum stake of 5 per cent. in any further licences.
  3. (c) where a person has no controlling interest in any licence, he will nevertheless be permitted to have more than a 20 per cent. interest in two regional or one national licence, a maximum of a 20 per cent. interest in one further such licence and a maximum of a 5 per cent. interest in any further licences.
  4. (d) national newspaper proprietors will not be permitted to have more than a 20 per cent. interest in any local radio licence. No national or local newspaper proprietor will be permitted to have more than a 20 per cent. interest in a domestic satellite service licence.
  5. (e) no public telecommunications operator will be permitted to have a controlling interest in any Channel 3, Channel 5, national radio or domestic satellite licence.
  6. (f) there will be a points scheme to indicate the maximum ownership permitted of local radio stations. All stations (with their associated channels) will be awarded points on the basis of their audience reach. It will be permissible to own stations which correspond to a maximum of 15 per cent. of the total number of points in the system.

I have placed a more detailed set of proposals in the Library. I hope to place an order before the House in December.