stv group rejects case for a single, UK-wide Channel 3 network

THE owners of stv are calling on the broadcasting regulators, Ofcom, to reject any suggestions that all channel three licenses be brought under single ownership.

stv group plc – which owns the channel three licences for stv central and stv north, and like UTV and Channel TV is not part of ITV plc – is making the appeal today as part of a continuing review, by Ofcom, of ‘public service broadcasting’ (PSB).

A single, UK-wide Channel 3 licence is something that Ofcom has suggested as a possible option for the future and has the backing of ITV plc.

The submission is being made ahead of a debate on broadcasting in Scotland, taking place at the Scottish Parliament today.

Says stv in its PSB submission: “stv rejects the notion of a single UK-wide Channel 3 licence and believes the interests of Scotland, and of the nations and fegions of the UK, are best served by the retention of the Channel 3 network with dedicated licences providing strong relevant content for regional audiences. The current model is not broken; it simply needs modernising…”

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