Will Ofcom jump? BSkyB-time

Ofcom has, at the request of the government, started an enquiry into the 100% take over of BSkyB by Murdock. The submissions finish today...

The issues that Ofcom have asked for submissions about, and my inputs, are:

Issue 1: Content type:

We are seeing a merger of content types, a parallel transmission by word, movie and sound.

The potential control and choice of the delivery method must not be under dominant control

Issue 2:Audience:

Audiences today are global. Any tighter control of delivery chains will persist the micro subdivision we have today of the distribution rights of content.

We have to open up content in a way that allows the audience to choose the delivery, no matter how or where they chose

Issue 3:Media platforms:

There is already too much control over delivery platforms.

Print is controlled by newspaper publishers...
Music is controlled by labels through restrictions on media used, CDs...
TV is very restricted to specific radio channels, terrestrial and satellite. What is worse these channels are often encrypted by DRM to limit the user...

The internet has the potential to open up a user controlled platform. But already forces are in play which are taking control of this end-to-end. The new YouView and lots of other offerings are perpetuating this closed model.

This must be stopped, the interface has to be rolled back to the content provider, supplying it to a competitive market of platforms competing commercially on price and technical capability, with no inherent rights control

Issue 4:Control of media enterprises:

Media enterprises are just content providers, in fact they are less than that, they are cooperatives of artists, writers, etc.

We need much more openness and freedom to connect the content creators directly to their audiences, without both opinion and commercial editorial control.

Issue 5:Future developments in the media landscape:

The internet changes everything. It is disruptive.

But we must not fight it. We have to stop any one, or a limited number, of delivery chains from controlling the channel through which we access creative content.

We need to roll back the rights licensing issues and ensure that creators output their content freely, with no restrictive channel control.

Further note that media today is integrated, sound, video, text move simultaneously in parallel supporting any one topic. This must be encouraged, no channel must be exclusive to any one media type.

Additional comments:

The discussion is larger than the BSkyB shareholding. It is about how we intercommunicate today and tomorrow.

The key is more openness, not closed delivery channels.