Vaizey supports ITV regional news plan

Ed Vaizey

• Increase image
• View all images

Shadow culture minister Ed Vaizey has backed ITV's withdrawal from regional news, and cautioned MPs who have criticised the commercial broadcaster's plans.

Vaizey told Broadcast that ITV's Ofcom-approved plans to reduce its newsrooms from 17 to nine was "not something I welcome, but it's something I understand".

"We want to see the relaxation of regulation for ITV to give it a chance, and I think if we had been in power, we would have acted much more swiftly to give ITV the flexibility to operate in this very challenging commercial environment," he said.

"It's a highly emotive issue, but unless government is going to pay for it, politicians had better be careful about being overly critical." 

Many MPs have come out against ITV's proposals, including Michael Moore, MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, who told minister for culture, creative industries and tourism Barbara Follett that the cutbacks were an act of "broadcasting vandalism".

Vaizey said that MPs had been making a fuss because "these are the telly programmes they appear on regularly" and suggested the "vacuum" left by ITV should be filled by local newspaper groups producing online television.

He added it was important that there was room for private companies to invest in local news, to ensure the BBC was not the sole provider.