Our TV is the best in the world...let’s keep it that way
IS THERE anything more British than Bake Off? A show inspired by the classic English village fête baking competitions. A whole nation of cake lovers tuning in, in our millions, to watch amateur bakers master their craft and perfect their Victoria Sponge recipes.
Part of what makes that show so special is that it has, in many ways, come to symbolise the imaginative, feel-good programming viewers have long been accustomed to from our public service broadcasters like Channel 4, ITV and BBC.
And it has inspired a series of spin-offs such as the Great Pottery Throw Down and the Great British Sewing Bee.
But what guarantees are there that in 10 years time we will still have shows with this enduring magic on our TV schedules? The answer, right now, is not many.
When we last updated the rules for broadcasting in the UK, Blockbuster was a company with 3,000 stores around the world.
Two decades later, Blockbuster has a solitary store in Oregon which acts as a museum for young people who have never seen a VHS.
In its place, there are new trailblazers – Netflix, Amazon, Disney – who have deep pockets and even deeper libraries of content.
In the last few years a revolution has taken place that has reshaped and redefined how we watch TV and listen to radio.
To put things in perspective, the latest Ofcom figures show that young adults today spend more time scrolling on Tiktok than watching broadcast television.
In the past fortnight we have set out the Government blueprint for how we give our broadcasters the tools they need to not just keep pace with this technological revolution, but to lead it.
Our plan comes in the form of a draft Media Bill and at its heart are measures designed to help our public service broadcasters continue to thrive for years to come.
Part of the formula is a new public service remit that simplifies what it is to be a public service broadcaster – so they can focus on providing the fantastic, distinctive content for which they are known.
Part of the formula is making it as easy as possible to find, watch
and listen to its shows on smart TVS and devices such as an Amazon Echo or a Google Nest.
And a big part of the formula is making sure Disney and others have to play by similar rules to our broadcasters.
Streamers like Netflix produce some exceptional content, and in many cases those organisations already have robust internal rules and systems.
But a show made for and broadcast on Netflix is not held to the same consistently high UK standards as one on the BBC or Sky.
And the public do not have the same rights if they have concerns. That is obviously not appropriate.
We plan to change this – by extending the powers of Ofcom so they can better hold these companies to account.
This includes a new duty for Ofcom to check the robustness of audience protection measures, like age ratings and content warnings.
No parent should have to worry that their child might somehow access harmful and inappropriate material on on-demand TV when they are out of the room.
And it includes new rules to ensure public service broadcasters’ apps – like BBC iplayer and ITVX, as well as STV Player in Scotland and S4C’S Clic in Wales –are easy to find and easy to watch, whether you’re on a smart TV, using a streaming stick or on your phone.
At the same time, we will
be working with the streaming giants to provide greater access to subtitles, audio description and signed interpretation on-demand for the 12 million people in the UK with hearing loss and visual impairments.
It won’t just benefit TV viewers, it’ll mean a better service for the millions of radio listeners in this country
AND IT won’t just benefit TV viewers, it’ll mean a better service for the millions of radio listeners in this country. The new rules will free up radio broadcasters by ripping up antiquated rules which tie certain radio stations to commitments like broadcasting particular genres of music or to particular age groups.
If you were to switch on a telly in Kenya today, there is a chance you would stumble upon an episode of Kenyan Bake Off.
Following its success in the UK, it is now licensed in 35 countries.
The same has been true of countless others, from The Office and Love Island to Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and Big Brother.
The author of Moby Dick, Herman Melville, famously said it is better to fail in originality than succeed in imitation.
We want to keep that principle alive and well in our public service broadcasters by helping them grow, securing their long-term future and preserving their reputation as incubators of ideas.