A FUTURE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE TELEVISION CONTENT AND PLATFORMS IN A DIGITAL WORLD

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A FUTURE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE TELEVISION For example, the BBC’s plans for BBC Studios are likely to mean an increased reliance on a freelance workforce, and it is therefore vital that the BBC works in partnership with the rest of the industry on skills issues and consults with the industry on its plans in this regard. At present, the BBC’s approach to skills too often seems to exist in something of a vacuum. Given its pivotal role in the PSM landscape, the corporation needs to develop a much stronger commitment to collaboration in order to identify and address skills needs and gaps. The lack of discussion in relation to training in the recent white paper on the future of the BBC would suggest that the government too does not see this as a priority for the corporation (and the wider industry) despite the skills gaps that are starting to open up in areas like highend drama. One area in which the government has been active – although not specifically in relation to the screen industries – concerns the proposed introduction of an apprenticeship levy in April 2017 that poses some significant challenges (and potential opportunities) for the television workforce. The levy will be statutory across all companies with pay bills over £3 million a year and the government anticipates collecting £3 billion a year by 2020, with a total of three million apprenticeship starts by that date. According to Creative Skillset, the new apprenticeships “could – with industry backing – be a powerful driver for greater creative industry workforce diversity via paid, job-ready entrants.” 499 Yet the screen industries have found it difficult to engage up to this point with apprenticeships, not least because of the freelance nature of the production sector. Despite the schemes that we have already referred to in this chapter, the number of apprentices remains low and the industry is not yet ready with the architecture needed to fully embrace opportunities for apprenticeships. The TV industry has many hundreds of niche and specialised occupations, many of them impacted by technological change and the requirement that an apprenticeship needs to last for 12 months presents a challenge to industries that operate on very different and less predictable time frames. Significant energy and investment will be required to translate these roles into appropriate standards, especially as this process will need to involve many small and micro-enterprises. It is vital, therefore, to find a way to use levy proceeds to support standards development, certainly in the first year of the scheme. The government’s scheme also needs to be carefully aligned with the industry’s existing apprenticeship schemes as well as with existing voluntary levies as any reduction in investment in the latter would undermine the competitiveness of the screen sectors and restrict its ability to meet growing demand. These sectors cannot afford to lose their ability strategically to direct money to areas of identified need through, for example Creative Skillset and the Indie Training Fund. Furthermore, as Sky put it to us, more detail is needed about standards, costs and how best to ensure that the government’s scheme does not “unfairly disadvantage UK apprentices outside England”. 500 According 499 Creative Skillset, submission to the Inquiry. 500 Sky, briefing note to the Inquiry, June 16, 2016. 148
CONTENT AND PLATFORMS IN A DIGITAL WORLD to Creative Skillset, without a “shared, coherent strategy across the industry and some flexibility from Government…there is a risk that the new levy will result in a transfer of funds – and opportunities – away from our industries towards other sectors of the economy.” 501 Others are more optimistic about the potential impact of the apprenticeship levy. Michael Foster, the co-founder of Creative Access, put it to us that “the tax is a potential godsend to the long-term future of television” and that, if properly implemented, it will bring in those disadvantaged social groups who have been largely excluded from the industry. 502 He argues that new apprentices are unlikely to come from the same pool as those who are benefiting from, for example, the high-end drama levy and that there is little to fear from the new scheme. He proposes that industry bodies sit down together as soon as possible to devise appropriate and ambitious standards before the scheme is launched and suggests that the screen sectors follow the example of the construction industry – which is also characterised by short production periods and is cyclical in nature – and establish a holding company for apprentices “which is responsible for their employment, payment and overall vocational training”. 503 We believe that there is a healthy debate that needs to take place urgently between broadcasters, government and all industry bodies to make sure that these issues are fully considered so that the industry is able to act to make the best use of the apprenticeship scheme when it comes on-stream in April 2017. Higher education Given that opportunities for in-house training provided by the largest broadcasters have fallen in recent years, universities and film schools have increasingly taken on the role of providing media training. But to what extent can higher education institutions provide the levels of specialised and up-to-date skilling that are required by the industry and how can they, as fee-paying organisations, overcome the barriers to entry that we identified at the start of this chapter? It is generally acknowledged that BA degrees in media will provide a general liberal arts education with a good spread of skills and critical engagement. They do not, however, necessarily provide graduates with a direct route into employment nor with cutting-edge and industry-standard skills. Those seeking a media career are likely to go the extra mile and attend a postgraduate programme, often self-financed after years of work. For example, the National Film and Television School (NFTS), funded by the government and by industry, has a continuing and important role to play in training the next generation of the television workforce. Channel 4’s recent donation of £1.5m to the school to help fund its new Creative Industries Skills Academy and to provide bursaries is a very welcome example of the role that public service broadcasters can play in helping higher education to develop the skills base of the screen industries. Despite their undoubted attractions, studying on the two-year postgraduate courses at the UK’s two premier film schools, the NFTS 501 Creative Skillset, briefing note to the Inquiry, June 17, 2016. 501 Michael Foster, submission to the Inquiry. 501 Ibid. 149
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A FUTURE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE TELEVIS
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Contents Foreword by David Puttnam
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To instruct democracy, if possible
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Welcome Television is leading a cha
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CONTENT AND PLATFORMS IN A DIGITAL
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PSB channels 71.9% All other channe
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Why television matters Television i
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1982 1990s 2012 The BBC-ITV duopoly
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Time for action Today’s policymak
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Basic principles At the core of pre
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The multichannel revolution Perhaps
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The BBC For most people, the BBC is
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Channel 4 If the BBC is the most im
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Only 8% of Channel 4’s total spen
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ITV and Channel 5 The focus of atte
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The changing face of ITV 1993-2002
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New sources of public service conte
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Page 97 and 98: CONTENT AND PLATFORMS IN A DIGITAL
Page 103 and 104: Television and diversity We have ea
Page 107 and 108: THE PEOPLE SHOULD BE TELEVISED If t
Page 115 and 116: Nations and Regions Public service
Page 129 and 130: Content diversity One of the key wa
Page 135 and 136: Sports content now accounts for som
Page 145 and 146: Talent development and training In
Page 147: CONTENT AND PLATFORMS IN A DIGITAL
Page 153 and 154: Conclusion Television is changing.
Page 155 and 156: Recommendations General The UK’s
Page 161 and 162: Appointing the BBC board Sir David
Page 163 and 164: APPLICATION OF THE NOLAN PRINCIPLES
Page 165 and 166: BAFTA members’ survey delivered i
Page 173 and 174: Public service broadcasting, public
Page 177 and 178: Inquiry events Do we still need pub
Page 179 and 180: Acknowledgements Inquiry Report Con
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A FUTURE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE TELEVISION CONTENT AND PLATFORMS IN A DIGITAL WORLD

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