Prof Cathy Johnson on Who Wins and Loses from the ITV-Sky Deal and the New Media Green Paper

Prof Cathy Johnson, a leading expert on public service media who has advised Ofcom and contributed to numerous parliamentary select committees and government investigations, discusses the implications of the ITV–Sky deal for ITV, Channel 4, ITN and Sky News, and what it means for the shrinking group of purely British public service broadcasters. We unpack the government’s green paper, “Watch This Space: A New Strategic Direction for UK Media,” and what it suggests – and fails to decide – about the long‑term future of public service broadcasting, including the BBC’s charter and funding.

We also explore why concepts like prominence, discoverability and amplification now sit at the heart of media policy: who gets seen first on smart TVs, streaming platforms and social media; what counts as a “trustworthy” news provider; and whether voluntary deals with tech platforms can ever be enough. We look at Ofcom’s role, the Online Safety Act’s definition of news publishers, the pressure on Channel 4 and local news, and how citizens can still influence media policy.

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