Leading industry figures including Sky Group Chief Executive Dana Strong, BBC Director-General Tim Davie and ITV CEO Carolyn McCall have called on the Government to prevent the Media Bill from being delayed or even abandoned in the run-up to the General Election.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a General Election for July 4. MPs now have until next Thursday to get through the remaining programme in a period known as the wash-up.
In all executives from across the sector have put their name to the statement; Dana Strong – Sky; Carolyn McCall – ITV; Tim Davie – BBC; Alex Mahon – Channel 4; Sarah Rose – Channel 5/Paramount; Simon Pitts – STV; Sioned Wiliam – S4C; Domhnall Campbell – MG Alba; Rachel Corp – ITN.
The statement reads: “As leading CEOs from the UK broadcasting industry, we call on politicians across Parliament not to let the opportunity to modernise the rules that govern our sector pass. The Media Bill as currently drafted is widely supported across industry and Parliament itself and has undergone Parliamentary scrutiny in the Select Committee and both Houses of Parliament, having completed second reading and committee stage in both houses. The reforms proposed in the Bill will update key aspects of media legislation for the online TV era, to ensure audiences continue to benefit from the highest quality UK-originated content from the PSBs, and help the UK’s content sector thrive for years to come.”
Any unfinished business is lost at dissolution and the Government may need the co-operation of the Opposition in passing legislation that is still in progress.
In the past some Bills have been lost completely, while others have progressed quickly but in a much-shortened form.
