Saturday, February 14, 2009

Ofcom to tackle local media

Ofcom is to reconsider the regulatory framework surrounding local and regional newspapers.

According to FT.com

The investigation will focus on whether the markets that newspapers serve should still be considered “self-contained” in relation to advertisers or readership and the extent to which other entities that provide news are in competition with local media companies


I can here collective sighs of relieve from the local industry but also the collective gasps from those that believe the market should be left to hasten the death of local print operations

Guardian media reports that

David Newell, director of the Newspaper Society, the body that represents regional publishers, said: "The NS welcomes today's announcement that the OFT is reviewing the local and regional merger regime within the time frame of the Digital Britain report. It is helpful that the government has specifically asked for the review to examine a number of the main issues which the NS has been asking the government to address as a matter of urgency."

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