Media Debates

British Broadcasting Since 1990

The Legislation• Peacock Committee 1986• Broadcasting Act 1990• Broadcasting Act 1996• Communications Act 2003• The Hutton Enquiry 2004

Peacock Committee• Retain the licence fee as a least worse

option and indexed to inflation• ITV franchises put out to tender• Allow not less than 40% of production

done by independents

Broadcasting Act 1990• Set up the ITC and streamlined regulation

with a ‘lighter touch’ than before• Allowed for a fifth terrestrial channel• Restructure of ITV franchises (confusingly this

is often called de-regulation)

• Restructure of radio especially in commercial radio

• Some see this as the beginning of the ‘dumbing down’ of TV

Broadcasting Act 1996• Further restructuring of regulation• Allowed for the introduction of digital

terrestrial TV• Regulation of digital radio broadcasting

Communications Act 2003

• Set up Ofcom• Allowed for greater community radio

Hutton Enquiry 2004• Led to the resignation of Greg Dyke the

DG of the BBC• Accused BBC journalists of underhand

tactics