§ Lord Alton of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the relaxation of the disqualification against religious broadcasting contained in Schedule 2 to the Broadcasting Act 1990 was omitted from the Broadcasting Act 1996. [HL4477]
§ The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Blackstone)Ministers of this Government are not accountable for what happened under a previous administration.
§ Lord Alton of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
What considerations have led them to exclude Christian and other religious broadcasters from applying for local digital multiplex broadcasting licences. [HL4478]
§ Baroness BlackstoneThe Government's aim is to ensure that the limited spectrum available is distributed so as to satisfy as many viewers/listeners as possible and to avoid giving one religion an unfair advantage over another so that everyone's beliefs are equally respected. The Government's position is set out in the documentThe draft Communications Bill—The Policy which states that, where there is sufficient spectrum availability, restrictions on religious bodies holding licences will be removed (paragraph 9.3.3).
A local radio multiplex licence is the licence to operate a multiplex through which local digital radio stations are transmitted. In most areas there is only one local digital radio multiplex for independent local radio and the maximum number in London is three. Under these circumstances we have concluded that there is insufficient spectrum to allow local radio multiplex licences to be held by religious bodies. For clarification, however, the Bill does lift the prohibition on religious ownership of a local digital sound programme licence, which is the licence to operate a local digital radio station.