Public service broadcasting: blog tasks

 Public service broadcasting: blog tasks

Ofcom review of PSB in Britain

In 2020 Ofcom published its findings from a five year review of public service broadcasting in Britain. Read the introduction to their report - pages 3-7. You'll need your Greenford Google login to view the document.

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

It is a critical time for PSB because audience viewing habits continue to change rapidly and competition for global content providers is ever increasing.

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

There have been significant changes in the way in which people watch television. Live broadcast viewing has declined, as audiences increasingly choose to view content at a time that suits them on global online and on-demand content services. These trends are affecting all broadcasters, including the PSB channels.

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

The evidence we have collected reinforces the need for an open and wide-ranging debate about the future of PSB to ensure audiences continue to enjoy a range of high-quality, original UK content including impartial news, and that the creative economy continues to thrive.

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. 

On average we watch over three hours of live broadcast TV each day and over half of that is to the PSB channels.

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.

Collectively, they provide audiences with approximately 32,000 hours of new UK content in a wide range of subjects, including news, current affairs, drama and children’s programmes. This far outweighs what is available on other commercial broadcast channels and the global streaming services. Use of the broadcasters’ on-

demand services, like the BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub, has significantly increased but not fully

substituted for the loss in live broadcast viewing. During our five-year review period, viewer requests

for programmes from these services increased by 65% to 6.3 billion but the strongest drivers for 

YouTube.

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

The current PSB system is based on television services, but radio and audio also help to inform educate and entertain. The increasing role for streaming music services and podcasts.

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?
It states that while PSB channels are some of the most viewed channels the recent outbreak of paid to view channels such as sky that offer bundles that give channels such as sky one, sky sports and sky news.

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?

The principles states that PSB should go to other means of their content being viewed other than the traditional method of television.

3) What does the report say about the BBC?

 SVoD services have been particularly effective in

engaging younger audiences, and our research suggests audiences aged 16-34 years old are more

likely to watch a BBC programme on Netflix than the BBC iPlayer.3

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

The report states that the BBC should be funded through a tiered platform, as a addition to council tax.

5) What does the report say about Channel 4?

Channel 4 occupies a critical place in the public service ecology – supporting the independent production sector and airing content aimed specifically at diverse audiences. Its remit has remained flexible and it has moved with the times

6) How should Channel 4 operate in future?

Channel 4 should increasingly increase its provision for older children and young adults and restore some of the arts programming that has been n decline in recent years.


Final questions - YOUR opinion on public service broadcasting

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

yes

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

Not really because people can get the same information by using another media instead of the BBC.

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

NO, because other medias like twitter, Instagram and YouTube is free I think BBC should also be free.