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Home > About Ofcom > Corporate Structure and Governance > Advisory Committees for the Nations > Advisory Committee Scotland  > Notes of meetings > 28 April 2008


15|07|08

Meeting of the Advisory Committee for Scotland held in Sutherland House on Monday, 28 April 2008

Present:

Thomas Prag - Chair ACS

Laura Alexander - ACS

Andrew Anderson - ACS

Andrew Muir - ACS

Julie Ramage - ACS

Philip Schlesinger -  ACS

Mike Shaw – ACS

Andrew Jones – ACS

Neil Fraser - Chair, Gaelic Media Service

Joyce Taylor - Ofcom Content Board Member for Scotland

Fiona Ballantyne - Ofcom Consumer Panel Member for Scotland

Graham Howell - Ofcom

Vicki Nash - Ofcom Scotland

Alan Stewart - Ofcom Scotland

Moray Borthwick - Ofcom Scotland

Ian Hargreaves – Ofcom (part of item 7)

Tom Loosemore – Ofcom (item 7)

Robin Blake – Ofcom (via videoconferencing for item 6)

Anna Bradley – Chairman, Ofcom Consumer Panel (item 9)

1. Apologies for absence

2. Minutes of previous meeting of 18 February 2008

2.1 In 6.8 the reference should be to Scottish agencies and not Scottish Enterprise. With that amendment the minutes were approved and are now to be submitted for the Ofcom website.

3. Matters Arising

3.1 Consideration was to be given to inviting representatives of Borders Connectivity Group to DDR event on May 13. All ACS members to be invited.

3.2 The ACS was updated on a recent meeting with the Scottish Government telecoms team.

4. Director’s Report

4.1 Volunteers from ACS were invited to the Ofcom strategy day.

Action

4.2 ACS members were also given invitations to the DUK reception on 7 May and advised that the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government and Communities Committee were conducting a short inquiry into digital switchover. Fiona Ballantyne said the Consumer Panel were keen to work with the ACS over switchover.

4.3 Under radio, it was reported that 3TFM was now on air. Also Andrew Anderson noted some concern that control of XFM was being centralised in England . Thomas Prag said it was not an issue for Ofcom unless output was affected.

4.4 On USO, Thomas Prag suggested ACS could raise questions with Ofcom given the strategic importance of the universal availability of broadband, even allowing for the limitations of the current USO requirements. ACS discussed the possibility of a government fund being made available for a USO for broadband and noted the particular issues in rural areas and the increasing emphasis on online content. It was not desirable to just wait on market failure. It was agreed ACS would continue to press on this matter.

5.CMR and DDR Sub-group Feedback

5.1 CMR

Andrew Anderson reported back on some concern about the size of sample in Scotland , particularly Glasgow and the finding of low take-up of broadband. AS said the sampling for Glasgow was being looked at again and that some of the findings for the city where the sample size had been very low had been taken out. Andrew Anderson asked if Ofcom Scotland could do more in-depth research for Scotland . Vicki Nash said detailed research into communications in urban and rural areas in Scotland had been carried out last year but had had not revealed great differences. Local research was being carried out as part of the current PSB Review. It was agreed the CMR would be on the agenda for the June meeting.

5.2 DDR

Laura Alexander reported back on Ofcom’s plans to consult on the proposed auction awards and discussions on various matters including how to prevent harmful interference and the possibility of local TV groups applying to the band manager for spectrum. There had been considerable interest from Scotland in the possibility of more packages of interleaved spectrum being made available. Laura also reported on concern about TV sets being sold without the technology needed to receive HD through Freeview.

6.Byron Review Summary

6.1 Robin Blake, Head of Media Literacy, joined by videoconference from London . He said the overwhelming feedback from stakeholders about the Byron Review was positive. He explained how the Home Office Taskforce on Internet Safety is likely to hand over responsibility to the new UK Council on Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS). The recommendations were regarded as both practical and achievable. He said that Byron is expected to review implementation of the recommendations in Spring 2011.

6.2 In response to a question on how Byron would impact on Ofcom’s work, Robin Blake said Ofcom had been reviewing its strategy over the past year and was waiting for the UKCCIS’ work plan to be published publishing its new Statement of Priorities. Ofcom had recently published research on social networking and its Media Literacy Audits were expected next month. In addition, the Silver Surfers initiative and Adult Learners’ Week support would continue. He said that Ofcom would engage with the UK Council on Child Internet Safety as appropriate.

6.3 Asked whether members of the public should complain to the Council or individual providers if the voluntary code is breached, Robin Blake said he expected the Council to give notice on who that would be. He felt that the industry was very willing to be first port of call because they would be able to act more quickly than if a complaint went to a third party.

6.4 Asked whether UK policy was "implementable" in Scotland , Robin Blake said that if ever there was a good time to speak to the Government on this issue, it was now. Vicki Nash said that Scottish ministers had expressed strong interest in media literacy and the Byron Review. She was waiting to hear back from civil servants on a date for a meeting on this issue with relevant Ministers.

6.4 It was also suggested that the Byron Review be used to get some of the wider me dia literacy issues discussed.

7.PSB/PSP

7.1 ACS was taken through a presentation on the issues. The financial models presented were not mutually exclusive. Thomas Prag asked if ACS wanted to submit a response. He felt such a response would likely make the case for not leaving PSB only in the hands of the BBC. Philip Schlesinger suggested that some variance of model 3 in the condoc was most realistic and Julie Ramage said this could lead to model 4.

Thomas Prag said that “top slicing” was not a helpful description and that if people wanted plurality there was the option of increasing the licence fee. Joyce Taylor suggested ACS could devise another model and look at how Scotland could appear under a scenario of transition between models 3 and 4. ACS discussed the use of online sources for example, as an “add on” to information from newspapers and how younger age groups access news. Mike Shaw expressed some concern at the possibility of a comfortable consensus on the models; there were deeper issues with revolutionary implications. Thomas Prag said no arguments were being dismissed but model 3 looked like a starting point. Neil Fraser referred to the GDS model and the fiscal challenge in funding PSB . Thomas Prag recognised the potential for editorial interference in public funding models. Philip Schlesinger described the ACS as providing the only consistent space in Scotland for deliberating on this area and the need to consider possible future political scenarios when discussing how the different models would work. Thomas Prag said this would need to be taken into account in any response from the ACS and Philip Schlesinger stressed the need to think through the implications for communications policy – not restricted just to broadcasting. Philip said he would be happy to circulate his recent paper on this subject. There was a clutter of bodies involved and the ACS must take a view on its own function in a changing environment. Vicki Nash informed the ACS that Ofcom would be able to take the SBC ’s reports into account within the PSB Review timescale. Ian Hargreaves agreed with Philip Schlesinger ’s core point that this was a pivotal period for Scottish politics and the ACS had an important role to play. It was a question of coming up with the best outcome for citizens and consumers in Scotland and Ofcom would be looking to the ACS for ideas. It was agreed to have a special ACS meeting on 12 May to discuss PSB .

8.Ofcom Content Board

Joyce Taylor reported on CB issues being looked at under PSB2 including the future of commercial PSBs, out-of-London production, the funding of C4, children’s programming and online content. She also briefed ACS on the discussions about the prospects for digital radio. ACS then discussed issues arising out of phone-in competitions.

9.Ofcom Consumer Panel – Anna Bradley, Chairman

9.1 Anna Bradley said the Consumer Panel was strong but could be better recognised outside, particularly its breadth. She said there were questions on how it would relate to the new National Consumer Council. She said it was able to choose whether to focus on Ofcom or communications – a remit that enables the panel to give advice to Ofcom and anyone else.

9.2 She listed the Panel’s priorities:

9.3 The panel is still interested in digital switchover but doesn’t expect to do a great deal of work on the issue until after the Granada region had switched. Finally Anna Bradley said the Panel was currently recruiting for new members.

9.4 Thomas Prag for the ACS said that many of their priorities overlapped with the Panel.

Fiona Ballantyne explained some of the background to the Panel’s Consumer Interest Toolkit, and also the conclusions of “ Switched on”, a new research report for the Consumer Panel examining savvy users of new technology.

10. Ofcom Contact Centre Information

10.1 Alan Stewart reported on recent and current regulatory issues including broadcasting complaints and telecoms issues (silent calls were the top telecoms category). Andrew Anderson raised the tendency of broadcasters who seemed to promote their own programming as news.

11. Session with Ofcom Board – Issues for Discussion

11.1 It was agreed to focus on the issues in the discussion paper i.e.:

12. AOB

12.1 ACS members were invited to lunch with the BBC’s Audience Council, Scotland on 6 June.

13. Date of Next Meeting and Schedule for 2008

13.1 23 June (Scottish Borders)

17 September

15 December


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