Public service broadcasting: blog tasks

1) Look at page 3. Why is it a critical time for public service broadcasting? 

It is a critical time for PSBs because currently technology is advancing and evolving every day and technology is seen as a serious threat to PSBs because audiences may switch from PSBs to alternative forms of media entertainment. Moreover, more competition from global content providers is ever-increasing.

2) Read page 4. How has TV viewing changed in recent years? 

Over the past few years there has been significant decrease in live broadcast viewing and this is because audiences choose to view content at a time that suits them best rather than live.

3) Still on page 4, what aspects of PSB do audiences value and enjoy? 

Values from PSBs that are enjoyed by audiences include being trustworthy and portraying a wide aspect of the UK life and culture.

4) Look at pages 4-5. Find and note down the statistics in this section on how much TV audiences tend to watch and how they watch it. 

Roughly 32,000 hours of content is produced by PSBs however in 2014 1234 hours of genres which consist of arts, religion, childrens and formal education ect fell down to around 1148 viewing hours in 2018. This reveals that over the years the amount of hours spent on viewing/absorbing content from PSBs is falling.

5) Read the section on page 5 discussing the importance of PSB. Again, find the statistics and explain the value of public service broadcasting in Britain.

Some statistics from page 5 reveal that in 2018 the net advertising revenue for advertising-funded PSBs has fallen by an approximate amount of 3.8% per year which in financial terms equates to about £325 million. On top of this the revenue that is generate through the licence fee for the BBC has also fallen and is falling by roughly 4% a year.

6) Look at the section on commercial challenges. How have revenues fallen for PSB channels?

The revenue for advertising-funded PSBs has fallen by 3.8% a year which is roughly £325 million. This has lead to a challenge of funding meaning third party funding has taken place.

 

7) Read page 6. What services increasingly play a role in our media lives in the digital age? 

Services like Sky and Netflix engage younger audiences and provide ages 16-34 with content. SVoD services in particular have been effective in engaging younger audiences. This is seen through research which reveals that audiences ages 16-34 are more likely to watch a BBC programme on Netflix than the BBC iPlayer.

Goldsmiths report on Public Service TV

Read this report from Goldsmiths University - A future for public service television: content and platforms in a digital world.

1) What does the report state has changed in the UK television market in the last 20 years?

In the last 20 years the proliferation of channels has led to a reduced market share of PSBs. Even though main broadcasters like BBC and ITV retained their dominance over the market new technology has allowed for on demand access to a wide range of content which has completely shifted the market.

 
2) Look at page 4. What are the principles that the report suggests need to be embedded in regulation of public service broadcasting in future?

Principles which include independence, universality, citizenship, quality and diversity must be embedded into the regulation and funding of an emerging digital media landscape.

3) What does the report say about the BBC?

The report reveals that the BBC is one of the most important part of the television ecology however it is under serious threat from competitors. This is because one of the BBCs vulnerabilities is its license fee which is liable of facing competition from new arising technology; Alternatively, in the report the license fee funding model is criticised for being far from an ideal system and it goes on to state that the BBC has little to no independence.

4) According to the report, how should the BBC be funded in future?

The report reveals that the government should replace the licence fee as soon as possible for a more progressive funding mechanism and an example which is suggested is a household fee or a supplement to council tax.

5) What does the report say about Channel 4?

The report reveals that Channel 4 is a critical part of the public service ecology, moreover its remit has remained flexible and it has cut with the times but it has cut programme spending. It also abandoned arts programming.

6) How should Channel 4 operate in future?

In the future Channel 4 should not be privatised and it should also significantly increase its provision for older children and young adults while also restoring some of the art programming which has been in decline for years.

7) Look at page 10 - new kids on the block. What does the report say about new digital content providers and their link to public service broadcasting?

The report reveals that certain characteristics of PSBs now appear outside the public service system and can be seen in new digital content providers.


Final questions - YOUR opinion on public service broadcasting

1) Should the BBC retain its position as the UK’s public service broadcaster?

I believe that the BBC should retain its position as the UK's public service broadcaster because the BBC has become apart of everyone's daily lives and it is how most people in the UK quickly access content and media. Moreover, the BBC covers current public affairs which is popular and mostly access by people in the uk on a day to day basic. If the BBC were to be replaced then I believe that many people would possibly go on strikes to prevent this from happening because the BBC has become so integrated into peoples everyday lives that if it is to be replaced or shut down a high percentage of people would become upset. The BBC pumps out a vast amount of content (almost 2500 hours of content yearly) and generates a large amount of money. A final important point is that it is the envy of the world as other powerful and strong countries such as the USA look at the BBC and are envious/jealous because of the quality content the BBC produces; This is because they do not have their own BBC.

2) Is there a role for the BBC in the 21st century digital world?

I believe that in the 21st century digital world it is very hard for the BBC to remain due to the amount of competition which exists and also the rise of new technology which has led to more people streaming on-demand services from anywhere. There should be a role because the BBC has existed since the 1922 and it is the main source of news and content for many people across the UK however growing competition in companies like Netflix make it hard to the BBC to exist. The BBC provides high quality content and it also covers recent public affairs and this is important because not many other companies or PSBs do this.

3) Should the BBC funding model (licence fee) change? How?

I believe that the BBC funding model should remain the same because the licence fee is the main source of income for the BBC and if the BBC switched to advertised funding then many people would complain. This is because they would have to sit through a lot of ads whereas with the licence fee people can instantly consume the content when they want to. Although the funding model is limiting to those with financial problems due to the fee being a flat constant rate throughout the year it should remain the same because the BBC has been around since 1922 and produces thousands of hours of content daily.