PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Television Channels: Competition (18 July 2022)

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will bring forward the plans in the Broadcasting White Paper for Ofcom to undertake a review on market changes that may affect the future of content distribution before the end of 2025, in the context of (a) the nine channels leaving Freeview this year and (b) the BBC’s plans to remove CBBC from broadcast TV.

Asked by:
Dame Siobhain McDonagh (Labour)

The Government is committed to the future of the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform (better known as “Freeview”) which remains popular with UK audiences and which plays an important role in supporting the delivery of public service broadcasting. It is our expectation that DTT will continue to be an important content distribution channel at least into the early 2030s. In recognition of this, the government has facilitated the long term renewal of DTT licences until 2034.

As set out in the Broadcasting White Paper, the government will ask Ofcom to undertake a review of market changes that may affect the future of content distribution before the end of 2025. Next steps in relation to this will be set out in due course.

Answered by:
Matt Warman (Conservative)
25 July 2022