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

A FUTURE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE TELEVISION
It is important to remember too that
commercial operators produce their public
service content only because it is part of
a commercial strategy and on some level
makes commercial sense, as something
that gains a strong audience (as of course
public service television can), builds their
reputation, or works as a loss leader. Ofcom
has noted that the multichannel sector’s
new UK programming “tends to be in only a
few commercially attractive or strategically
important genres (either in terms of
profitability or brand enhancement), such
as news, entertainment and comedy”. 267
We are glad that commercial multichannel
operators are making this content, but it
is not something for which they should be
additionally rewarded, as it is always done in
their shareholders’ interests. Nor should the
existence of this kind of programming outside
the public service broadcasting system be
used as a pretext for cutting the funding
of public service television within it or for
weakening the regulation in place to secure it.
We also believe that the context set by the
public service broadcasters encourages
the provision of this sort of programming.
The fact that Sky has invested in a news
channel and ensured that its output is of a
high standard cannot be separated from the
environment created by the public service
system, where the impartiality of news has
long been written into the law and spirit
of broadcasting, and where BBC and ITN
had already established the template for
high-quality news provision. Likewise, Sky’s
investment in arts programming might not
have been so lavish or have happened at all
were it not for the BBC’s example.
Public service television can in fact support
an environment in which commercial
operators can flourish. Susanna Dinnage,
the head of Discovery UK, told us that
her channel thrives in a public service
environment for a variety of reasons: the
public service broadcasters keep people
actively engaged in television, enhance the
reputation of British television, serve up a
diverse offering, lead and curate audiences
to find content in new ways, and help to
develop a strong creative community.
According to Dinnage: “If we didn’t have a
strong PSB [system], there wouldn’t be as
much commissioning – there is an amazing
correspondence between the pace of growth
in PSB and commercial industries.” 268
Local TV
Another part of the multichannel landscape
worth mentioning is Local TV, which has been
rolled out in 20 locations since the launch
of Grimsby’s Estuary TV in November 2013,
with another 14 stations set to launch. There
are now local channels in major cities such
as London, Birmingham and Manchester,
as well as in smaller places such as Preston
(That’s TV) and Norwich (Mustard TV). 269
The channels are granted a licence by Ofcom
to broadcast on Freeview on a prominent
slot (channel 8 in England, 23 in Scotland
and Wales), and can also negotiate carriage
on Sky or Virgin, as well as streaming their
output on their own websites. Some are
backed by significant media groups: STV
operates the Edinburgh and Glasgow
services, while London Live is part of Lebedev
Holdings, the owner of the Evening Standard
newspaper. But licensees are “varied in type
and size” and can be not-for-profit ventures
or commercial partnerships. 270
267
Ibid.
268
Comments to Inquiry’s advisory committee, April 26, 2016.
269
For full details, see the Local TV Network website.
270
See Ofcom’s Update on Local TV in the UK, September 15, 2014.
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