Lord Puttnam was influential in setting up Ofcom

The government suffered a heavy defeat in the Lords on Monday over its plans to shake up the UK's media in the Communications Bill.

The Lords voted 179 to 75 in favour of a cross-party move to put "citizenship" at the heart of the duties of Ofcom, the new communications industry watchdog.

The rebellion was led by film producer David Puttnam and backed by Tories, Liberal Democrats and crossbenchers.

The Communications Bill is currently going through the report stage.

The bill will involve the biggest shake-up of the media in more than a decade, with Ofcom given responsibility for regulation across the sector.

It is no particular problem for the government Culture department spokesman

Concern has been expressed that broadcasting deregulation under the bill could see US-style "dumbing down" of British TV.

Ofcom chairman, crossbencher Lord Currie of Marylebone, abstained.

He said: "There is no doubt room for some changes but when the goal is nearly complete it is not time to pull out any of the foundation stones."

'Listened'

A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: "The government has listened to the concerns and will take them away.

"Lord Puttnam decided to test the will of the House on the issue but it is no particular problem for the government.

"We have clearly indicated that we will consider the principle underlying the amendment."

Opposing the amendment, junior culture and media minister Lord McIntosh of Haringey said: "I have been reading a lot in the press about dumbing down to American television standards.

"But the point is that the difference between us and the US is not so much on ownership rules, it is the fact that they do not have content regulation and content regulation is very much at the heart of what has been the feature of British broadcasting and is maintained in this bill."

The government was defeated a second time when peers voted by 113 to 111, majority two, to give Ofcom a duty to encourage the take-up of broadband internet technology.