Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Commercial Radio and Television

Thursday 16 November 2023 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government introduced the Media Bill to support TV and radio sectors in the digital world.
  • The Media Bill includes measures to protect radio in relation to voice-activated smart speakers.
  • Listeners requesting a specific radio station should receive that station according to the Bill.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Michael Fabricant Con
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The MP is inquiring about the steps being taken to support the development of commercial media on new digital platforms.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to support commercial radio and television in the context of the development of new transmission platforms.

Answer from Lucy Frazer

The Government introduced the Media Bill into Parliament last week. The Bill will ensure that our world-leading TV and radio sectors are able to compete in the new digital world, so that they can continue to produce great content for the audiences of the future.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not provide specific details about the measures being taken by the Department to support commercial radio and television on new transmission platforms.

How: Under Review

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Q2 Michael Fabricant Con
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The MP inquires about the ability to access commercial radio channels, specifically GB News, through voice-activated devices like Alexa or Siri.

Question

If I were to say, “Hey, Siri, can I have GB News radio?” or “Alexa, play GB News radio”—[Interruption.] Of course I would say GB News radio. It is the most successful news channel now, pulling in a bigger audience at most times of the day than either the BBC News channel or Sky—TalkTV cannot even be measured.

Answer from Lucy Frazer

The measures in the Media Bill will protect the position of radio in relation to voice-activated smart speakers, ensuring that listeners can find their favourite radio stations on request. In particular, when a listener requests a specific station, they should receive that station.

Answered
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