UPDATE: UTV issues top political agenda!

Well done to DCAL Chair Barry McElduff, DCAL Vice Chair David McNarry and DCAL Committee member Dominic Bradley.

McElduff met with the NUJ on October 21; McNarry issued a well-considered contribution to instability in the local broadcast market on October 22; and Dominic issued his calls for the DCAL Committee to discuss the issue further with UTV and BBC chiefs on October 23.

Haven't spotted anything from DUP as yet.

So when does preservation of regional output get onto the Committee agenda? When do we get to see some testimony from all the major stakeholders/watchdogs etc in the Senate chamber? Perhaps even an EDM to get the ball rolling?

[The most recent EDM comes from Gregory Campbell who is upset that journalists ask politicians about wages drawn from the public purse at a time of major financial turmoil.

TEXT OF THE EARLY DAY MOTION TABLED BY GREGORY CAMPBELL
That this House notes the latest BBC Annual Report and Accounts regarding salaries, bonuses and other expenses paid from the public purse by the BBC to a number of it’s senior executives, some salaries comprising £647,000 for the Director General plus £160,000 pension contributions, £459,000 salary for the Deputy Director General plus an annual bonus of £41,000, salary of £327,000 plus £19,000 in bonuses, £12,000 in expenses and £61,000 in cash supplement for the former Head of Audio and Music; expresses the hope if not the expectation that other employees of the BBC, some of whom have clauses in their contracts precluding any publicity surrounding their salaries and bonuses from the same public purse, will at least have the decency to blush with embarrassment when questioning Members regarding their payments and allowances upon the forthcoming release of this information.]