New report on future of public service broadcasting underlines ‘risk that society becomes ever more fragmented and polarised’
The communications regulator Ofcom has published a new report on the future of public service media (PSM) the UK given the competition they face from online services such as YouTube, streamers like Netflix and emergent technologies such as generative AI. As we reported in September, more of us now get our news from online sources than from TV, which has been seen a key generational shift.
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In the UK, public service media is predominantly provided by key public service broadcasters (PSBs): the BBC, ITV, STV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and S4C. ‘Together they offer distinctive services and a broad range of content which reaches all UK audiences,’ says the report, while, ‘Their competitive dynamic has driven high-quality programming.’
However, with an increasing move by audiences away from linear TV and traditional media to services online, ‘the very existence of the PSBs’ is being threatened. Without them, says the report, ‘there would be significantly less UK [based] content and there is a risk that society becomes ever more fragmented and polarised.
‘Time is running out to save this pillar of UK culture and way of life.’
The report calls for urgent action to ensure these PSBs can continue to provide trusted and accurate news, tells UK-centred stories and represent the diversity of the nations and regions of the country. To do this it makes six recommendations.
- Making public sector media prominent and easily discoverable on third-party platforms that audiences increasingly use, such as YouTube and social media. This will require PSBs to collaborate with those platforms – but may also require legislation to set minimum standards.
- Stable, adequate funding to sustain a broad range of PSM including accurate, trustworthy news.
- Clarity on how TV will be distributed in future, given the requirement for PSBs to be universally accessible and the costs of broadcasting via digital terrestrial television (DTT)
- More ambitious strategic partnerships among PSBs, among themselves and with others, to tackle such issues as new technologies and how to better reach audiences. The report says this may include ‘possible consolidation’ of partners.
- Investment in media literacy more widely, so people in the UK are better able to access and use digital services, and to critically engage with the media.
- Streamlined regulation to remove outdated restrictions
The report provides a range of evidence to support its recommendations, including sections on market context, the funding and production of PSM content, supporting audiences to find PSM content, empowering audiences in the digital age, and Ofcom’s own commitments to updating the regulation of broadcast TV and radio.
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