Former ITN chief demands urgent action on ITV local news

Stewart Purvis, the former Ofcom partner and ITN chief executive, last night called for the government to take quick action on the future of ITV, warning that its "very ambitious" plans for a new generation of local television services risked being stunted by the delay. Purvis also called for the repeal of some EU directives on media regulation, saying the UK should "pull back" from parts of existing legislation. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport must accelerate negotiations with ITV about the future of its local news provision if the "government is going to deliver its very ambitious timetable for local television", Purvis said. Outlining his proposals for the next Communications Act, Purvis suggested that ITV licensees "should be invited to sign up for a clearly defined pattern of content for the nations and regions for 10 years with no annual renegotiation downwards and in return the licences will be rolled over". "If Britain doesn't want that kind of deal or ITV won't agree to it then the only logical next step is to review the use of that spectrum and see if other interested parties have a better idea about how public value can be realised," he said. Purvis added that he suspected ITV "will find it hard to take that risk". Delivering the Royal Television Society Fleming Memorial Lecture , Purvis warned against "Europe taking us any further down the road to more statutory regulation" for the media. He also argued that the new local TV services should be subject to more relaxed regulations regarding advertising and impartiality. Local TV and radio "should be allowed to operate a self-regulatory model", he suggested, likening the proposal to a broadcast version of the Press Complaints Commission code of practice, which requires accuracy but not impartiality. Purvis also argued that advertising on local TV and radio should be allowed to take the form of "sponsorship around but not inside news programmes", similar to the US broadcasting network PBS. During his two-and-a-half-year spell at Ofcom, Purvis was responsible for the implementation of the regulator's broadcasting code across TV and radio. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".