An audience (some of it unwanted) with Jeremy Hunt

Anti-climax loomed over Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s appearance at the London School of Economics last night; the timing was also unfortunate. The single topic everyone wanted to hear about – whether Hunt will refer Rupert Murdoch’s £8 billion bid for the remaining 61 percent of BSkyB to the Competition Commission - was the very thing he could say least about. The lawyers had obviously warned him within an inch of his life to say nothing and Hunt conceded that whatever his decision it was “likely to be judicially challenged.”

He will pronounce on the issue next month and most expect a referal. But Hunt was left in no doubt about the “hot potato” he currently holds when about 30 demonstrators invaded the lecture theatre chanting “Minister of Culture – Tory Vulture.” They doubted he was fit to take the decision because of previous informal meetings with the Murdoch family. With patience and aplomb, the Culture Secretary assured the protestors he was both fit and impartial.

Hunt’s favourite hobbyhorse, the expansion of local television, will be decided next week. But Hunt suggested he favoured the creation of a national network with local affiliates on the US model. “For local TV franchises to be viable they need to tap into the national advertising market and therefore you need some kind of body to sell advertising nationally but it then appears on local TV,” Hunt explained.

He also revealed that six figure salaries and bureaucratic ineptitude were not the primary factors in the closure of the UK Film Council. Rather, the organisation’s fate was sealed by what the Culture Secretary saw as UKFC’s failure to arrest the relative decline of the British independence film-making sector, compared with those of France, Germany and even Italy. “There ought to be a huge opportunity for British independent filmmakers to grow and grow to a significant size,” said Hunt, who argued that only a new organisational structure could alter the Film Council’s “fundamental” shortcoming.

There was good news for ITV on the CRR (Contract Rights Renewal), the system that has governed how ITV advertising is sold since the merger of Carlton and Granada, which ITV claims is impeding its growth.

Hunt said he favoured greater flexibility and since inheriting the business media powers of Business Secretary, Vince Cable, it was an issue he could influence. “I certainly will be looking at it, yes,” said Hunt.

There was a slap on the wrist for Daily Express owner Richard Desmond for pulling his Northern and Shell company out of the Press Complaints Commission, the self-regulatory body for the newspaper and magazine industry. Hunt described Desmond’s decision as curious. “I would think the last thing he would want is statutory regulation and by undermining the system of self-regulation he risks bringing that a step closer,” the Culture secretary warned.

Hunt was at least willing to say a few things about Murdoch. “Are we bringing Fox News to Britain? No we are not. We have impartiality regulations in the broadcasting code which we are committed to keeping,” insisted Hunt.

He also revealed that Rupert Murdoch signalled his displeasure at the six-year licence fee deal negotiated with the BBC. Murdoch had been campaigning for a much smaller BBC – something that Culture Secretary Hunt did not deliver, although the Corporation faces a frozen licence fee and 16 percent in cuts over the six-year period. At the end of that period, Hunt promises a full and comprehensive review of everything the BBC does.

For some last night there was a sense of nostalgia for demonstrations past. Style guru Peter York was heard to say afterwards: “Such sweet young faces.”

Raymond Snoddy is a freelance journalist who presents BBC Television access programme Newswatch.

ShareThis