The Government has indicated that the BBC, ITN and Sky have reached an agreement to allow all news organisations access to pooled broadcast material.
Included in its response to the culture select committee’s recommendation on the future of local media, the DCMS said a wider range of organisations should be allowed to buy footage traditionally caballed by leading broadcasters.
‘The Government understands that following discussions, the BBC, ITN and Sky have agreed that all news organisations, including the Press Association, should be given access to broadcast pool material and be able to purchase the footage,’the DMCS response report stated.
In February, the Press Association called for the overhaul of regulations covering nationally significant events after it refused to pay ‘disproportionate and nonsensical’fees to show video footage of the Chilcot inquiry to its newspaper clients.
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The Press Association wants to be able to offer pooled broadcast content so that it can become more readily available for newspapers to use on their websites.
Publishing its findings on the local media in April, the culture select committee agreed with PA’s stance.
‘The BBC, ITN and Sky are all able to use the broadcast pool content online as well as on television and it is against the public interest to deny local and regional newspapers this opportunity.
‘There needs to be clarity regarding who has access to footage from, what are currently, single camera assignments.
‘If the members of the broadcast pool are not prepared to make the content available to the Press Association at a reasonable cost, then the Government should ensure the right of access for the Press Association digital pool reporters alongside the broadcast pool at national events.”
The DCMS response to the select committee report also said the Government welcomed the BBC’s plans for greater partnership with other broadcasters and would encourages the Corporation to seek further opportunities of this nature.
“The Government has no intention, however, of providing the BBC with any additional funding to support such initiatives,” hr response stated.
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