What we do

SCBG follows the regulatory agenda of the UK Government and the regulator Ofcom and supports the interests of its members on a range of issues. Our regulatory priorities can be divided into the following areas:

Quality And Diversity

We support the Government’s objectives of promoting plurality and consumer choice, encouraging new investment and the take-up of digital television, while maintaining and strengthening public service broadcasting. We believe the satellite and cable sector has an increasingly important role to play in delivering this vision.

Competition

SCBG members operate in an extremely competitive and volatile marketplace, delivering choice and innovation to viewers without privileged access to spectrum or public funding. Redefining the roles of the existing public service broadcasters must be set in the context of a thriving commercial multi-channel sector and must take account of these factors that may restrict its growth and contribution.

Regulation

The UK is a world leader in digital television and has fostered much of the innovation that has taken place in the multi-channel environment. If the UK wants to retain this lead then the government and Ofcom must not be tempted to over-regulate this ground-breaking sector. A light touch approach to regulation must recognise that maturing businesses need to operate free from onerous intervention.

International Context

Satellite and cable broadcasters often operate in a trans-national context, and policies developed at the European level impact significantly on them. We therefore strongly support the Country of Origin principle enshrined in the Audiovisual Media Services Directive and call on the UK Government and Ofcom to take full account of this fundamental principle that has made trans-frontier broadcasting possible and lead to the UK being the hub of many big international media groups.

For our position papers on these and many other issues, please click here