Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing to you regarding the recent announcement by ITV plc that it intends to cut drastically its commitment to regional and local programming. Across the country ITV is planning to do away with local news in its entirety and instead provide a regional news service that will have no relevance to local communities.

As a Public Service Broadcaster (PSB) ITV is given its right to broadcast by Act of Parliament. In return PSBs are required to fulfil specific obligations. If the ITV proposals go ahead these commitments will not be met.

Ofcom is required to ‘maintain and strengthen’ public service broadcasting but since its inception has presided over a wholesale reduction across the UK. It has the power to reject ITV’s proposals.

ITV argues it cannot maintain its commitments under the existing licences because they are not economically viable. I would urge you to reject this and support the alternative proposition being put forward by the National Union of Journalists. The NUJ believes that a new, sustainable financial model can be devised by Parliament to ensure that effective competition with the BBC be maintained.

The old system based on analogue broadcasting signals served the country well. Public service broadcasters were given access to spectrum in return for meeting policy goals like providing relevant local content to viewers in all parts of the UK.

With the advent of digital television and the process of digital ‘switch-over’ a new deal must be brokered which offers the same incentives. One such measure could be the allocation of signal spectrum allowing the public service broadcasters to deliver to the public free-to-air, High Definition TV, across all delivery platforms. Another would be the continuation of the current ‘listed’ events system whereby major sporting fixtures are guaranteed free to air and universally available. This measure could help provide a sufficient incentive for specific broadcasters to fulfil certain desirable government policy objectives. It would also safeguard free-to-air for the nation major sporting events like the World Cup and the Grand National.

It would assist the NUJ’s campaign if you could kindly let me know your views on this matter. Specifically:

1 Do you agree that ITV should continue to provide local news and non-news programming in addition to regional news?

2 Do you believe that the regulator Ofcom should reject ITV’s proposals regarding local and regional news (and non-news)?

3. Do you believe that the Government should, as part of its review of the broadcasting industry, devise a new PSB model that includes incentives for broadcasters to provide public service content?

Yours sincerely

XXX