Member

I want to raise two issues. The first concerns the important point made by the noble Lord, Lord Kirkhope, about regional news. We see, in our communities, local news and regional news getting less and less. With the demise of newspapers and commercial local radio, and with the cutbacks at local BBC radio, two contributors to local news have shrunk dramatically. I am very concerned about the proposed takeover of ITV by Comcast, which has been raised. What will happen to local news? ITV’s first establishments were local and regional TV stations. I live in Granadaland; we still refer to ITV as Granada Television, believe it or not. It has been hugely important in informing people of local issues. We want to make sure that, in any selling off of what I regard as a crown jewel in ITV, local and regional news are protected; they have to be protected.