Recommendation L90: Periodic Plurality Reviews
From An Inquiry into the Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press, published 29 November 2012.
Recommendation
The Government should consider whether periodic plurality reviews or an extension to the public interest test within the markets regime in competition law is most likely to provide a timely warning of, and response to, plurality concerns that develop as the result of organic growth, recognising that the proposal for a regular plurality review is more closely focussed on plurality issues.
In brief (written by this site)
The Inquiry asked the UK Government to consider periodic plurality reviews or competition test extensions. In August 2014, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport stated that it asked the Office of Communications (Ofcom) to develop a measurement framework for a baseline plurality assessment, but that no decision had been made on periodic reviews (Department for Culture, Media and Sport response, Aug 2014). The department added that it was "reserving its position on future media plurality policy until after a baseline assessment", while an extension to the public interest test in competition law was not mentioned (Department for Culture, Media and Sport response, Aug 2014).
Sources
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 1 Oct 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
Government is asking Ofcom to develop a measurement framework which will allow for the first-ever baseline assessment of media plurality in the UK to be conducted. However, no decisions have been made about whether this will be a one-off report, the first in a regular programme of periodic assessment or an ad-hoc process. The Government is reserving its position on future media plurality policy until after a baseline assessment so that we can understand the nature of the picture in the UK today, but we note the Committee’s preference for periodic reviews on a 4-5 yearly basis.
Blanket government agreement does not establish acceptance or delivery by each addressee. Some response passages cover groups of recommendations.
Scope of the government response
PM David Cameron responded to all 92 recommendations with a single statement accepting them "in principle" or "in part". No per-recommendation response was published.
Delivery
No statement on delivery from UK Government has been found in the sources searched (last checked 24 February 2026). This is separate from the response above.
Source
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- UK Government
Response