Responding to Ofcom’s BBC Annual Report and Local Media Review, published last week, News Media Association Chief Executive Owen Meredith has said: “In the Local Media Review today, Ofcom has acknowledged that ‘increased BBC online local news forms part of the headwinds facing local publishers and that there may be some local areas where BBC viewing is displacing commercial viewing’ and that there is potential for the problem to get worse in the future.
“It is now time for the BBC to acknowledge this and work with us to develop a sustainable future that promotes local news instead of obstructing it – and for Ofcom to decisively lead the way in achieving these goals, rather than continuing with the overly cautious approach it is currently adopting.
“The Review calls on the government to take action that supports local journalism, rightly highlighting the innovation within the local news sector and the huge audiences it commands. We look forward to engaging on this important work as it develops.”
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