Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP, and Ofcom Chief Executive Sharon White have hailed the strength of the British media industry and its future, at the annual reception of the All-Party Parliamentary Media Group.
Speaking at the event, which was hosted by Channel 4 at its London studios, the Secretary of State and Ms White highlighted their expectations for the future of the industry, noting upcoming developments including the BBC’s Charter Review and Ofcom’s Public Service Broadcasting Review.
The reception, which was attended by parliamentarians and media industry leaders, followed Mr Whittingdale’s announcement earlier in the week that the BBC is to fund TV licences for the over-75s.
Both Mr Whittingdale and Ms White noted the continued innovation of the UK media industry and its contribution to the economy, also setting the expectation for future innovations in broadcast and media content.
Chris Whitehouse, Clerk of the All-Party Parliamentary Media Group, said:
“As the Secretary of State and Ms White have noted, the UK media industry continues to be a world leader and a major contributor to the economy.
“This is an exciting time for the industry, which continues to innovate and engage the public. We are very grateful to both Mr Whittingdale and Ms White for their time and comments this evening, and to the Group’s sponsors for their continued support – although this is tinged with sadness that the BBC no longer supports the Group.
About the All-Party Parliamentary Media Group
The All-Party Parliamentary Media Group is an independent parliamentary forum for the discussion of media policy. Its events and secretariat are sponsored by Arqiva, Channel 4, News UK, Global Group, Time Warner, the Telegraph Media Group, BT and UKTV.
The Group’s secretariat is provided by Westminster political communications specialists The Whitehouse Consultancy.
