BSkyB chief slams OFCOM and government interference

BSkyB chief executive Tony Ball has launched a withering attack on the role of the industry regulator OFCOM, and described political interference in ownership laws as a "threat to democracy".
Speaking to the IEA Conference on Monday, Mr Ball said that what the industry really needed was "a policeman, not a dictator", adding that politicians had allowed OFCOM too much latitude in interfering with the industry.
"It is possible to argue that politicians’ use of ownership laws actually becomes the bigger threat to democracy. Every few years in Britain, ministers review the laws and as a result come under pressure from media companies to change them," Mr Ball said.
"After months of lobbying, they announce their decision, and it is pored over to see who has benefited most. This process gives ministers huge and unhealthy power over media companies. It would be far safer for democracy if ministers removed themselves from these ownership decisions, by having them decided by the independent competition authorities."
He added: "I am concerned with OFCOM’s remit to 'promote competition'. Although it sounds benign, I believe it is fundamentally misconceived."
Mr Ball was also vehement in his defence of Sky's business strategy, describing the OFT's relationship with Sky as "prescriptive".
He added that there was still too much regulatory involvement in the industry, advocating instead strong competition law to allow the industry to regulate itself.
Mr Ball went on to offer words of praise to Sky's partner in the joint bid for free-to-air digital terrestrial television licences – the BBC.
"Whatever, the rights and wrongs of some of the BBC's expansionary ambitions, or some of its drift to commercialization (and in my view there are more wrongs than rights) it is undeniable that the corporation has the resources… to set new benchmarks in British programming," Mr Ball said.
Sky, www.sky.com
(GMcG)