I completely agree with my hon. Friend. There are distinct markets for regional TV and local TV. In some parts of the country the regions are so large that large parts of what national broadcasters tend to regard as local TV are not local to people and do not register with their interests, whereas local TV can genuinely do that, as local radio does and has always done.
4 pm
I wish to speak in support of the various Government amendments that cover radio, not least because parts 5 and 6 of the Bill are particularly important in enhancing the prospects of radio flourishing in future. Many people have been predicting radio’s demise for some time, but the sector is doing strongly. I hope that will continue, and anything that encourages that in the Bill is extremely welcome. Some of the amendments remove an out-of-date requirement on Ofcom to impose fines on national analogue stations such as talkSPORT if they sought to terminate the broadcasting of analogue transmissions before the end of their licence period. I do not think there are any plans for that to happen, but it seems sensible to make such flexibility available, not least because analogue transmission and listening is becoming increasingly rare. Some 76% of listening to commercial radio is now on digital platforms, and looking ahead to the future seems perfectly sensible.
Amendments 53 to 59 that would ensure a DCMS consultation before regulations that affect a radio selection service are also sensible. The measures restate the need to ensure access through voice activated smart-speakers—a massively growing and important part of radio listening—and the big tech companies that make and operate those speakers, and which also provide content, clearly need a strong regulatory regime to stop any abuse of the market power that those big companies have. This has been a significant debate. We also had it in the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, and it is important that the regulatory regime recognises the reality of where power lies in modern broadcasting.
Moving to amendments that I am less keen on, I agree with the News Media Association that the argument for state-backed regulation of the press has been lost, and the amendments introduced eloquently and with great sincerity by my right hon. Friend the Member for Camborne and Redruth (George Eustice) are flogging a horse that I am afraid died some time ago. I do not think there is a need for his amendments—