Clause 10 - Function of promoting media literacy
Communications Bill
3:30 pm
Mr Brian White (North East Milton Keynes, Labour)
I appreciate the enthusiasm of the hon. Member for Lichfield (Michael Fabricant).
When we discussed the general duties of Ofcom on Tuesday, I said that, due to my incompetence, I had not tabled an amendment to promote community media as a general duty. However, Ofcom will have a duty to promote media literacy, which will relate not only to existing media forms but to new forms as they appear. Community media is one of the most exciting new forms and I feel that Ofcom has a duty to promote it. I hope that one thing to come out of this debate will be a recognition by Ofcom's board that it has a key role in that. Clause 10 will be vital.
Community media covers not only radio but television. A number of pilot schemes exist up and down the country. Ofcom must have a role in presenting a range of options; it should not interpret this clause narrowly. In the White Paper, there is much about the need for people to be literate in new forms of media such as the internet. However, there are other new technologies and community media is the current one. Others will come along later and Ofcom will have a key role in their development, especially in the early stages.