Lord David Puttnam has once again urged the government not to rush through proposed legislation to allow foreign companies to buy into British television.

Click here to watch the full interview

In May the government published a draft of the Communications Bill, which could pave the way for non-European broadcasters to buy a stake in UK television companies.

I think this policy is a na�ve policy... but not necessarily a wrong policy

Lord Puttnam

But Lord Puttnam, head of the committee examining the bill, said he was concerned the government had not considered the consequences.

He told BBC HARDtalk on Friday: "I think this policy is a na�ve policy, an ill founded policy but not necessarily a wrong policy and there is an important difference.

"Pause, wait, reflect gather evidence and by all means make the changes that the evidence suggests are correct."

Americanisation

If rules on foreign ownership were relaxed it is thought that international media conglomerates such as AOL Time Warner and News International, owned by Rupert Murdoch, might invest in UK media companies.

And some fear that could lead to the UK television schedules being flooded with cheaply imported programmes from America.

Could Rupert Murdoch buy into British television?

But Lord Puttnam dismissed any suggestion that he was against foreign ownership.

He argued that the government needed to consider the ramifications of such changes.

He said: "I believe that in a global environment it becomes more important than ever for nations to be able to express their own cultures.

"We at no point have said that we are against foreign ownership. The report is very clear. It believes that the case needs to be made and that the government should pause and make its case."

Evidence

The Communications Bill would lead to the creation of a new communications and media regulator Ofcom (Office for Communications).

Ofcom would act as a single watchdog to replace the five current broadcasting regulators.

Lord Currie: the new Ofcom chairman

Lord Puttnam insisted that the government should not allow relaxation of the rules on foreign ownership, until Ofcom had investigated the issue.

He said: "Ofcom will be an evidence based body. Why would government pre-empt the creation of a new regulatory body by making a very important decision with no evidence?

"If you're going to set up a sophisticated evidence-based organisation, give it a chance to do the job you're asking of it, and take its advice, and it doesn't matter frankly whether foreign ownership becomes a reality this year, next year or the year after."

The interview can be watched in full on Friday 4 October on BBC World and BBC News 24 at the following times:

BBC News 24 (times shown in BST) 0430, repeated 2230