U.K. Press Monopoly Denied

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29239, 24 June 1960, Page 13

U.K. Press Monopoly Denied

(Rec. 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 23. A British Government spokesman said last night that the keen competition among British newspapers showed that the British press was “very far from anything approaching a monopoly.”

Lord Dundee, Minister without portfolio, told the House of Lords this in replying to a debate on the press in which peers expressed fears of monopoly.

An Irish peer, the Earl of Aran, who is a newspaper director, said that if any newspaper owner gained control of too many sources of public information, someone would say “no” and that someone would be the Government, whether Conservative or Socialist. Lord Aran also referred to the Canadian newspaper owner, Mr Roy Thomson, and the newspapers he has bought. On this. Lord Dundee commented: "Anybody acquainted with Mr Thomson will be aware that it is his consistent policy to strengthen and develop both the editorial responsibility and the traditional character of the papers he owns.”

In opening the debate, Lord Aran said he wanted to point a finger "at new places where I think danger may be lurking.”

About a year ago. he said, Mr Thomson had taken over Kemsley Newspapers, which comprised many provincial newspapers and three Sunday paper'- the “Sunday Times,” the “Empire News,” and the “Sunday Graphic.” To that “considerable English empire,’’ Mr Thomson added the Scottish daily, the “Scotsman.” Mr Thomson was also chairman of Scottish television.

Lord Aran added: “Let us suppose—and the supposition is not entirely vain—that he will now buy the ‘Glasgow Herald.’ Then you get a position in which one man owns three leading Scottish dailies and is head of Scottish television.” That might not be a monopoh i” the sense that it could be examined by the Monopolies Commission: but it seemed “a rather frightening thought.” And Mr Thomson was reported to have said he would like to own a national daily Lord Aran described himself as an employee of Associated Newspapers, publishers of the

“Daily Mail” group. He is a director of the “Daily Sketch" and “Daily Graphic” Ltd. Earlier, he said he believed there was a strong feeling of indignation against British newspapers. People complained of intrusion into privacy, exploitation of grief and inaccuracy. Some of these took place Lord Silkin. deputy leader of Labour peers, said Mr Thomson had declared he was interested in the press, not for personal p.wer or as an instrument of propaganda, but as a business. Mr Thomson had also declared that to be successful in the newspaper business you had to please the public. But Lord Silkin said he wondered whether one could justify the “poisoniag of the minds of the public or their morals by pandering to certain types of immorality.’’ He did not think the answer Mr Thomson had given for newspaper ownership was altogether satisfactory. But Mr Thomson's was not the only reason the people wanted to acquire a group of newspapers Some were influenced by a desire for power. That was something extremely dangerous and not to be entrusted to a few men.