Peers quiz regulator and infrastructure specialists on media convergence
On Tuesday 5 February, in the latest evidence session of their inquiry into media convergence and its public policy impact, the Lords Communications Committee will question the CEO and Chair of the Authority for TV on Demand (ATVOD), the independent co-regulator of on-demand video content. They will be followed by representatives from the communications infrastructure firm, Arqiva.
The witnesses from ATVOD at 3.30pm will be:
- Peter Johnson, Chief Executive Officer; and
- Ruth Evans, Chair.
The Committee have heard a range of proposals in this inquiry, with each one arguing for a slightly different refashioning of the UK's regulatory architecture so that it might fit a converged media landscape. One of the more significant challenges for any of these proposals has come from audiovisual content distributed over the internet. At present some of this content is regulated by ATVOD. The Committee will put some of these proposals and challenges to the witnesses and explore with them alternative approaches for media regulation and organisations like ATVOD in the future.
Following on, at 4.30pm, the Committee will hear from the following representatives from Arquiva:
- Julian McGougan, Head of Public Policy; and
- Wendy McMillan, Director of Group Strategy & Business Development.
A communications infrastructure and media services company, Arqiva is embedded in the UK's existing media landscape. Equally, as an investor in IPTV services such as SeeSaw and more recently YouView, Arqiva are very much part of the changes continually being wrought by media convergence as well. The Committee will consider the pace of change brought about by convergence and what the implications are – and should be – for media policy more widely.
The evidence session will take place at 3.30pm on Tuesday 5 February in Committee Room 2.
The sessions will be webcast live at www.parliamentlive.tv and are also open to the public. Journalists wishing to attend should go to Parliament's Cromwell Green Entrance and should allow time for security screening.
