Guidance

Future of TV Distribution Stakeholder Forum: Minutes 1 - 19 November 2024

Published 23 June 2026

Minutes of a meeting held on 19 November 2024.

Attendees 

DCMS 

Chair: Stephanie Peacock MP, Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth
Robert Specterman-Green, Director, Media and International Policy
Mark Griffin, Deputy Director, TV Policy

DSIT

Rebecca Molyneux, Deputy Director, Broadband Regulation and Investment
Holly Creek, Deputy Director, Wireless Infrastructure, Spectrum and Consumer Policy

Ofcom 

Yih-Choung Teh, Group Director for Strategy and Research

Working Group Chairs

TV Sector Working Group Chair: Gill Hind, Enders
Infrastructure Working Group Chair: Richard Lindsay-Davies, Digital TV Group
Audiences Working Group Chair: Professor Catherine Johnson, University of Leeds

Members

Laurie Patten, Arqiva
Kieran Clifton, BBC
Clive Carter, BT
Khalid Hayat, Channel 4
Adam Minns, Commercial On-Demand and Broadcasting Association
Nigel Dacre, Comux
Elizabeth Anderson, Digital Poverty Alliance
Emma Whitmore, Edgio
Jonathan Thompson, Everyone TV
Paddy Paddison, Independent Networks Cooperative Association
Magnus Brooke, ITV
David Powell, Local TV Network
Hamish MacLeod, Mobile UK
James Tatam, Paramount
Kerry Booth, Rural Services Network
Mali Williams, S4C
Dennis Reed, Silver Voices
Emily Davidson, Sky
Morna Macarthur, STV
Matthew Evans, Tech UK
Professor Simeon Yates, University of Liverpool
Professor Steven Barnett, University of Westminster
Andrew Wileman, VM02
Colin Browne, Voice of the Listener and Viewer

Apologies 

Darren Baker, SES 

Summary

The Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth welcomed members to the inaugural stakeholder forum for the future of TV distribution. The minister acknowledged the scale of the challenge and emphasised the need for audiences to sit squarely at the centre of any decision. She also outlined the purposes of the forum; to hear a diverse range of viewpoints and to continue to build the collective evidence base to drive policy progress over the months to come. Representatives from the communications regulator, Ofcom, and the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology introduced their roles in the project. The chairs of the forum’s three supporting working groups – Gill Hind for the TV Sector working group, Richard Lindsay-Davies for the Infrastructure working group, and Professor Catherine Johnson for the Audiences working group – introduced their priorities for their groups.

The forum discussed six ‘core decision factors’ (universality, audience impact, reliability, innovation, promoting a competitive TV industry, and maintaining a sustainable public service broadcasting ecosystem) associated with the project, as well as a range of broader factors that should be considered in comparing potential options. The discussion was wide-ranging and covered varied topics including: the costs and benefits to consumers and businesses of different options; definitions of universality across distribution types; the importance of digital inclusion and the usability of different technologies; and, the resilience of the infrastructure and the need to allow technological innovation to continue. The role of different actors in the supply chain was also highlighted. There was broad support for the decision factors identified and it was agreed members could provide additional feedback to DCMS ahead of the next meeting of the forum. 

Professor Catherine Johnson presented the findings of the DCMS-commissioned research project which she had led. This was followed by a discussion of the project’s evidence sources and areas where more evidence was needed to inform the future path forward. Contributions from attendees referenced topics including: the need for further research on audience preferences; the importance of sensitivity analysis; the potential role of satellite distribution; the environmental impact of different distribution methods; and, the accessibility of platforms to consumers. 

Drawing the meeting to a close, the Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth thanked members for their contributions. At its next meeting, it was expected that all working groups would provide updates on their progress. In the interim, the minister made clear that it would be important for the forum and its working groups to consider the specific issues raised in more detail. The speed of change in the sector was considerable and the department’s project looking at the future of TV distribution, of which the forum formed part, would not be operating in a vacuum. It would co-exist with other work programmes, for example, to implement the Media Act 2024.