Home > About Ofcom > Corporate Structure and Governance > Advisory Committees for the Nations > Advisory Committee Scotland > Notes of meetings > 12 September 2007

14|03|08

Meeting of the Advisory Committee for Scotland Held in Sutherland House, on Wednesday, 12 September 2007

Present:

Thomas Prag - Chair ACS

Laura Alexander - ACS

Andrew Anderson - ACS

Susan Neal - ACS

Selma Rahman - ACS

Martin Robertson - ACS

Philip Schlesinger - ACS

Fiona Ballantyne - Ofcom Consumer Panel for Scotland

Vicki Nash - Ofcom Scotland

Alan Stewart - Ofcom Scotland

Moray Borthwick - Ofcom Scotland

1. Apologies for absence

1.1 Apologies received from Julie Ramage, Martin Robertson and Neil Fraser.

2. Minutes of previous meeting on 18 June

2.1 Agreed

3. Matters arising

3.1 Philip Schlesinger gave a brief update on the draft Culture Bill.

3.2 Thomas Prag mentioned the New News, Future News consultation. He said it contained significant sections on the importance of news in the regions, so it would be sensible for the ACS to submit a response. This should be done by the end of the following week. Joyce Taylor pointed out news was part of the PSB review so felt the ACS would have a further opportunity if needed to comment.

4. Director’s Report

4.1 Vicki Nash updated the ACS on the current status of the Scottish Broadcasting Commission. Thomas Prag felt it was essential that the ACS gives an opinion to the Commission, a view the ACS shared. It was agreed that Thomas would write to Blair Jenkins.

4.2 On DSO Vicki Nash suggested that Paul Hughes, DUK’s newly appointed Scotland manager, be invited to attend the next meeting. Susan Neal mentioned that DUK had also appointed liaison staff in the Borders.

4.3 Vicki Nash updated the ACS on the current status of the Gaelic Digital Service, including the intensive work undertaken in Ofcom’s Market Impact Assessment.

5. Consumer panel

5.1 Colette Bowe explained to the ACS who the Consumer panel were, what they did, and the kind of issues they have been looking at and are interested in. She said the panel remit goes across Ofcom, excluding content, and that its first significant research was three years ago on digital switchover. She called this a ‘classic access problem’, but felt the line between access and content was getting more difficult to define as time went on.

5.2 Colette said children’s issues was a current big issue for the panel, in particular children and the internet. For example, what does it do to a child’s life chances if they live in a home with no internet access?

5.3 On NGA, the ACS was told that one problem is that no one can identify what people will do if they have it – what value do people place on bigger and better? Collette explained this was a big theme of the Consumer panel – how consumers and citizens have uses for NGA and DDR. She suggested an event on broadband, talking to the public about how they would respond if NGA was available, perhaps as a USO?

5.4 Fiona Ballantyne updated the ACS on Consumer panel work about children and the internet, saying the results of a recent discussion event will be published shortly. She also mentioned the possibility of establishing a children’s panel within Ofcom. Fiona also gave an update on DSO research, which she said held little surprises on who was, and was not getting to grips with it.

5.5 ACS members were interested in the suggestion of an event, with questions including:

What level do you make broadband? In some parts of the country it was simply impossible to get faster speeds, so there would be a danger of a divide appearing
Although an excellent idea, perhaps the brief for such an event was too wide?
The brief and format of any event would be very important, and perhaps should include a range of competencies? Nevertheless, universal service was felt an obvious destination, given that ‘we cannot will a knowledge society into existence without having the means to get there’.

5.6 Colette concluded that if an event is possible in Scotland (probably in the North), the Consumer panel would like to do one.

6. PSB

6.1 ACS was updated on the forthcoming PSB review, the terms of reference for which it was noted had been published the previous day (it was noted that Thomas would provide some comments on the TOR). Key issues for this second review of PSB included the role of new platforms and services in public service content, the role of the commercial sector in PSB, and the challenges facing national/regional programming (which would be discussed at the next ACS meeting in December). It was anticipated that the review would conclude in early 2009, although it was noted that a number of areas of the review would be concluded earlier than this, notably non-news programming,

6.2 During discussion, members raised the following points;

the role of radio in PSB; it was noted that the Communications Act 2003 refers only to the requirement on Ofcom to review PSB and TV, not radio, although it was agreed that radio had a role in PSB delivery
funding for PSB; work on the PSP was continuing and the review would also reflect on Ofcom’s review of Channel 4 funding.
the role of other platforms; interactive media could have a role in PSC, although its availability was not universal (over broadband or DTV)
ACS agreed to submit a response to the News News, Future News discussion paper. Thomas Prag would draft this, and send for comment to Philip, Susan and Selma for comment, for submission to Ofcom by 21 September.

6.3 There followed a presentation on PSB and childrens’ programming. It was noted that this part of the PSB review had been brought forward in view of an increasing debate in the industry about how best to provide high quality childrens’ programmes in the context of ITV withdrawing from commissioning such programmes and the impact of the restrictions on food advertising to children on funding for childrens’ programmes. A discussion document would be published on 2 October which would highlight the findings of the review, namely;

the high value placed on PSB for children by parents
concerns about the delivery of drama and factual programmes for older children and teenagers
importance of the country of origin of programmes for parents (in this regard it was noted that a workshop had been held in Edinburgh where concerns had included the few programmes set in Scotland and the desire for more)
the decline in spending on childrens’ programmes in the years 2002-2006 by the commercial channels and the increasing role therefore for the BBC (although concerns about the impact of this potential monopoly of supply)
the debate in the industry about policy options to address the gaps, including tax incentives to assist provision, a dedicated fund for childrens’ programming and a dedicated childrens’ service.

6.4 The discussion document would put forward questions for consideration, and it was planned to publish the results of the consultation in spring 2008.

6.5 It was agreed that the key issues for ACS included plurality of supply and production in Scotland and that a sub-group of Laura, Julie and Andrew would be set up to draft a response to the review of childrens’ programming, to be brought to the committee at its next meeting in December, the day before the close of consultation on 20 December.

7. Strategy planning

7.1 ACS had received papers outlining the process for Ofcom’s three year strategy planning framework and its priorities. ACS would be expected to submit their views on the framework at the Strategy Planning day to be held on 9 October, at which they would be represented by Thomas and Andrew A. Key issues in planning for the future included;

the increasing importance of wireless technology for broadband etc
increasing competition between platforms and the consequent pressures on eg. PSB
the need for greater consumer empowerment/protection as services became more complex
the Government’s views on the need for increasing regulation of the internet
Trust in broadcasting
NGA – whether all areas would benefit from faster speed access
institutional change; a new Comms Act? – plus the impact of Europe on eg. mobile regulation

7.2 In discussion, ACS raised the following points:

the emphasis on the consumer in the framework and an apparent reluctance to address citizen issues;
need for clarity on the statement in the framework that ‘some elements of decision-making on communications policy may be devolved in future’;
whether internet regulation might form part of Ofcom’s remit;
the prospects for increased listening to radio in the context of decreasing trust in TV (but noting Ofcom’s views on the decline of localness in radio).

7.3 It was agreed that the top issues for ACS to see reflected in Ofcoms’ planning process were

Spectrum – whether a market based approach was correct – and the need to consider DSO and the availability of platforms UK wide
NGA and differential access across the UK to fast speed broadband
media literacy – although this had moved up the agenda in Ofcom, there was still a requirement for Ofcom to view media literacy as part of a wider ‘consumer education’ agenda and to engage with, eg. the voluntary sector who may be in contact with those most excluded/technologically unsupported
The importance of radio – and the potential for more community radio
The need for vigilance and ‘horizon scanning’ – in the context of increasing convergence
Access and inclusion

7.4 ACS’ views would be raised on 9 October by Thomas and Andrew A.

8. Access and inclusion

8.1 ACS were presented with a paper regarding the potential for increasing divergence in urban and rural areas in the UK of communications services as competition and technology increases. Differences in availability, quality/speed of service and competitive choice/price were predicted. Currently some services were uniformly available (eg. fixed line) due to USO, whilst others (eg. 2G, broadband and DTV) were not. ACS were asked for their views on what the priorities for Scotland should be. It was noted that the Scotland specific research in the 2007 CMR report highlighted that among those yet to acquire some of the communications services technologies, only a small minority reported that they had been prevented from doing so by lack of availability.

8.2 The following issues were raised in discussion;

broadband availability and speeds were priority issues (particularly given increasingly complex content available for dowloading/access eg. via the iPlayer)
2G availability and the need for roaming were also priorities, especially for access to emergency services (it was noted that this was currently the subject of an Ofcom study)
DDR and the desirability of carving out spectrum for wireless broadband in rural areas where competition was unlikely to provide it otherwise
producing ‘best practice’ guides for public bodies who might provide funding for intervention schemes – how might such funding be applied – to which technologies?
It was suggested that the new Scottish Government might opt to make some services subject to a USO (eg broadband) in the absence of European action although this may require considerable financial support.
the need for greater publicity for the Scottish Government’s broadband ‘not-spot’ research, and the potential for communities to access spectrum as part of the DDR to provide wireless broadband

8.3 It was agreed that contacts in the Scottish Government telecoms team, in Highlands and Islands Enterprise and in Scottish Enterprise Borders could provide useful information on availability of communications services to the access and inclusion project and that details be provided of these contacts by Ofcom Scotland to the A&I project team.

9. Content Board update

9.1 Joyce Taylor advised that she was part of the Ofcom team reviewing the future of childrens’ television and also the PSB2 review overall.

9.2 It was noted that Philip Graf as Chairman of the Content Board would be writing to AC chairs seeking their views on a range of issues of concern to the CB, including the future of radio and media literacy. Philip would also be seeking views on the headline issues for Scotland, which might be the current political climate and the need for Ofcom to have regard to this, the role of Ofcom in Scotland and the citizen/public purposes of eg PSB.

9.3 During discussion, ACS noted that the issues of interest in Scotland included;

the place of the citizen in the communications markets (in this regard it was noted that Ofcom had recently produced a report identify the citizen dimension)
whether they might be another round of licensing for community radio
DDR – and specifically that the market was not the only solution

9.3 Joyce also advised ACS of the 19 November CB event in Edinburgh on PSB and ACS were invited to be represented.

10. Ofcom Contact Centre information

10.1 The contents of the Ofcom Contact Centre report were noted.

11. Future meetings

11.1 It was noted that a number of possible meeting dates for 2008 had been identified. It was agreed that Thomas determine which dates suited his diary best and then other members would be advised accordingly. One of these meetings would be held outside Glasgow, probably in Dundee.

11.2 The next meeting of ACS will be held on 19 December 2007, in the Ofcom Scotland office.