What format do you have the document in? If you only have hardcopy then download the pdf from the Stationary Office website that way you can search through it easily to find what you need.

Additionally, a google for '"communications bill" satellite cable' returned numerous relevant hits.

If you're having trouble understanding what to do you may be better served by asking your tutor at university.

(Edited by Callum 12/12/2002 16:29)

I'd imagine the Guardian's articles on the Bill are quite substantial, it might be worth trying to get commentary from another newspaper to get an overview of the situation before reading the nitty-gritty detail.

Split your essay up into a start, middle and end. The end being a summary mainly of your main points. The start is always difficult, but you might try by putting an 'abstract' paragraph (i.e. what you are about to talk about). Also make any definitions of groups/companies/regulatory bodies etc. at the start.

If you keep on expanding your headings with more and more detail the essay will almost write itself - 1000 words really isn't all that much. Good Luck!

Thanks guys, that's a load of help!!

It wasn't that I didn't know what to do, it was the fact I thought I didn't have enough information and that I couldn't get started!!

Just about to get going now, hopefully it should come together pretty quickly as I have to do it before I go home tomorrow so I can have the weekend to myself!!

Thanks again guys!!

Adding and quoting from named references will fill out your essay and if done right will make it look very professional. Word has a footnote feature which should look quite nice. Also, if you don't have enough space to write about a certain aspect, you can always write 'Refer to xxx if you requre more detailed information about topic yyy'.

Hmmm... Salient features:

It's the latest in a series of pieces of legislation liberalising the telecoms and broadcasting markets incuidng the 1984 and 1996 Telecoms Acts, 1990 Broadcasting Act and 1996 BBC charter renewal.

The objectives of each of the pieces of legislation were: Protecting the consumer from abuse of market power through competition rules, promoting investment by introducing progressive libealisation to introduce competition, preserve democratic institutions through cross-ownership rules, protecting the consumer through content regulation (programme codes) and protecting national sovereignty through ownership rules.

The Communications Act aims to be flexible and light touch (reliance of self-regulation). It's main provisions, as far as TV goes, are:

Establishment of Ofcom as a unified regulator which subsumes multiple predecessors eg ITC, Oftel etc

Reduction of limits on ownership eg easing of rules limiting consolidation of ITV companies (so Granada and Carlton could merge), newspaper groups taking a stake in Channel 5 and reduction of limits on non-European ownership of UK broadcasters.

Clarification of "must-carry" channels (currently BBC, ITV, C4, S4C etc) with an obligation on the government to periodically review and possibly add to that list.

Establishment of a content board and consumer panel to ensure public interest is represented in broadcasting.

However, one major criticism is that the BBC remains largely outside Ofcom's jurisdiction, continuing to be largely regulated by its board of governors.

Obviously, you'd need to fill in an awful lot more detail but I figure if you ensure you cover those points above, you should be OK.