Cable and Satellite - The Market for Programmes

The development of cable and satellite television has not occurred as rapidly in the United Kingdom as initially anticipated. The paper examines cable and satellite policy in the context of the Peacock Report's proposals for broadcasting reform. The concept of a national telecommunications grid providing television and basic telephone services is questioned, as is the whole concept of pay-TV which lies at the heart of Peacock's recommendations. The paper presents the case for more extensive deregulation of these two sectors and proposes a positive set of reforms to accompany such deregulation.