According to the UK Green Party website the Green Party will try to achieve the following if they gain power at the 2010 general election:
CMS670 Democratisation of media/TV: the Green Party recognises and welcomes developments in broadband TV channels that allow free participation. The Green Party believes that government at all levels should encourage such democratisation of media, and wider participation in generating content.
CMS671 Councils will be encouraged and helped to make their public deliberations available through streaming media.
CMS672 The Green Party believes that the development of computer communications has reached the point where BT should have an obligation to provide broadband capable infrastructure to every household. Funding for marginal ‘uneconomic’ lines may come from a small levy on every access line. The principle of universal access at the same base price to the household should prevail as with post and telephone services.
CMS673 The BBC will be allowed to carry its public service role over into new media through developing its web and online services funded from its general revenue stream. In line with the principle of limiting cross-media ownership, we may wish to see the new media arm of the BBC develop into a separate organisation which carries a public service obligation specifically for new digital media and funded from public money through the Public Service Media Council.
CMS674 As technologies evolve ‘spare’ spectrum or bandwidth may become available. This represents a valuable ‘commons’ which should not simply be auctioned to the highest bidder but a proportion should be reserved for public use.
I would be interested to hear both positive and negative views on UK Green Party’s New Media policies in the comments below?