It concerns me that terrestrial commercial television broadcasters in the UK are trying to reduce their PSB remits.
Charles Allen is interviewed in Media Guardian today, on the morning that ITV plc is born.
“Allen wants the PSB review to contribute to a new definition of ITV’s public service role, which he believes should take into account ratings hits such as I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!”
Errr… what does that mean exactly? Fewer hours of kids television because I’m A Celebrity’s really popular? I can’t quite see how this impacts on their PSB role at all. If ITV really don’t want to have to make PSB programmes, they’re welcome to hand back their licence to Ofcom and disappear off to digital only platforms. Someone else can come along and use that analogue space.
Gerhard Zeiler, chief executive of RTL (majority owners of Five), also wants to reduce Five’s PSB requirements – in particular shift his news out of peak (no link since I got this from the headline of a Broadcastnow email). This is particularly strange given Five’s recent attempts to move ever so slightly more upmarket, and just the other day he was singing the praises of public service broadcasting in the UK.
Basically all of this talk is positioning for Ofcom’s forthcoming PSB Review. Ofcom also has a microsite aimed at the general consumer. Let them know what you think, and register for updates!
Read more about it all here.
And don’t forget to say something about the BBC’s Charter Renewal. I’m guessing that the government are going to tread very carefully over this now that they’ve cleared out the top-tier of the BBC completely. Tessa Jowell this weekend announced that new chairman is to be chosen independently.