A joint committee of MPs and peers has today criticised the government's proposals to relax media ownership laws.

The committee, chaired by Labour peer and broadcaster Lord Puttnam, slams plans to ease media laws which would effectively pave the way for Rupert Murdoch buying Channel 5.

In its report, the committee warns that Murdoch should not be allowed to make a move into terrestrial television.

Forum Response: ITV

Clive Jones, joint managing director of ITV, told ePolitix.com: "ITV broadly welcomes the recommendations contained in this report, in particular the Committee's support for single ownership of ITV. This will be an important step forward if ITV is to continue to deliver to viewers high quality programmes made all over the UK in an increasingly competitive television market.

"The committee also makes an important recommendation to Government to amend the Bill so that satellite viewers can be guaranteed access to the public service channels - BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 - through the introduction of effective 'must carry' provisions.

"The committee has also recognised that where the Communications Bill applies to the BBC there is a need for greater clarity. We welcome its recommendation that Ofcom should have a clearer responsibility for overseeing the BBC's Fair Trading Commitment and ensuring that quotas for the production of programmes from around the UK's regions should apply to BBC1 and BBC2 individually."This is a detailed and lengthy report containing many detailed recommendations. It merits proper consideration by the government and those in the industry. We hope that its findings will further improve what we believe is a good draft Bill before it is presented to Parliament later this year."

Forum Response: 3WE

Don Redding, spokesman for 3WE, a coalition of the UK's leading international development and environment charities, told ePolitix.com: "The report's most powerful recommendation is that the new regulator for communications, Ofcom, should have a 'single principal duty' to protect the long-term interests of citizens, relating to broadcast content, and that competition policy is a means to this end.

"Having argued since 1997 that we should all be treated as citizens of a global information society, we're overjoyed to see the committee correcting the government's well-intentioned but weak attempt to balance citizenship against market economics."The report therefore puts public service broadcasting at the centre of Ofcom's concerns. It kicks the idea of 'light touch' regulation out, and says Ofcom should operate 'proportionate' regulation to further citizens' interests, as the voluntary sector suggested. And it notes that the 'foremost' suggestion for improving the public service remit that applies to broadcasters is to include 'international issues' alongside religion and social issues.

"This was one of the most frequent comments during the committee's open online consultation with the public, and is supported by over 260 of the UK's international NGOs and 79 MPs who signed an Early Day Motion."

Forum Response: BBC

A spokeswoman for the BBC told ePolitix.com: "There is much that we welcome in the committee's comprehensive report, notably the recognition of the BBC's unique role in the development of public service broadcasting in the UK and of the world service internationally.

"We also welcome the recognition of further clarification of the BBC's position under OfCom which will help dispel misapprehension."