Puttnam fears for DCMS's future

Puttnam was influential in setting up Ofcom

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) could eventually cease to exist, according to Lord Puttnam.

The Labour peer says he fears the decision to split responsibility for the new media regulator Ofcom between the DCMS and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) could have dire consequences for the department, reports the Guardian.

The film producer, who chaired the joint scrutiny committee on the communications bill, believes the DCMS should have sole responsibility for Ofcom so as not to confuse issues.

"My experience of joint departmental working has been catastrophic. If you are a clever company you can work the system to your advantage but a normal punter becomes baffled and inhibited by the system," he said.

Rumours

"I want to see the DCMS emerging as the lead department once the bill gets royal assent. If not, what you get is a crippled department and the prime minister will say sooner or later 'do we need this?'," he added.

Earlier in the year the government issued a denial that the DCMS was going to be scrapped as rumours circulated it was going to be carved up into media industries, with the majority of control going to the DTI.

"I don't want it to be both departments. It will not work. In that kind of battleground, over a number of years, the DTI will set up a situation in which it will end up controlling the sector," said Mr Puttnam.

Ofcom will be charged with making sure TV and radio stations maintain their standards and diversity, and will play a large part in deciding which mergers and acquisitions get the green light.

'Enormous damage'

The one body will take over the roles currently filled by five different regulators in the TV, radio and telecommunications fields - giving it far-reaching powers.

But splitting the responsibility between the DCMS and the DIT will not work Lord Puttnam told a Westminster media forum.

"If you gut the DCMS by pretending to share with the DTI, you are doing enormous damage to the sector and to the department," he said.

"I want the DCMS to be the responsible department so that responsibility for the sector regulated by Ofcom lies with the DCMS," he said.

A DCMS spokesman said there were no plans for the DTI to eventually take control of the media sector and that the departments were prepared to work together.