And... relax. A mere 539 days after the government announced that Lord Carter (remember him? No, us neither) would be creating an "action plan" for the digital media economy – a Digital Britain, if you will – a press release lands in Monkey's inbox: " The digital economy bill has now been published as the Digital Economy Act 2010, following royal assent." There were casualties along the way: Channel 4's bid for public subsidy, the government's replacement ITV regional news plan. After more than 18 months of consultation, draft and final reports, argument and counter argument, the legislation supposed to set the policy framework for the UK's digital media future was bundled through the House of Commons with unseemly haste in a two-hour debate on Wednesday night. At least now battle-fatigued media lobbyists can now take a well-earned rest. And then start preparing for the Tory communications bill.
