[Community Television] Ofcom trails future of PSB

[Michelle McGuire]

Ofcom trails future of PSB
22 April 2004 09:27

Ofcom this week outlined some of the challenges public service 
broadcasting in the UK faces in the future - and the reforms that may 
be required to ensure the quality and range of PSB in a digital ages.

Ofcom was unveiling the first phase of the biggest research project 
ever carried out into public service broadcasting in the UK. The 
regulator also identified other areas where regulatory reforms may be 
required to ensure the future delivery of PSB (see box).

The regulator's findings were based on a survey of 6,000 homes across 
the UK and analysis of output and investment by the UK's terrestrial 
broadcasters over the past five years. The findings will help shape 
Ofcom's policy recommendations about how the broadcasting landscape 
must change to ensure the provision of high quality PSB in the future.

Ofcom identified strengths and weaknesses in the current provision of 
PSB. The strengths included the fact that expenditure on programming 
across the five main terrestrial channels (excluding film and sport) 
has increased by 8%; a wide range of programming is still shown in 
peaktime, with the proportion of UK-originated programming rising 
slightly; spending on news was up 13% and spending on drama up 16%; 
news continues to be strong, and programmes continue to tackle 
challenging issues.

Weaknesses among PSB broadcasters were identified as specialist 
programmes such as arts and current affairs being pushed to the margin 
of the schedule; a narrowing of range within genres, such as drama and 
factual; a perceived lack of innovation, with too much copycat 
programming, and the audience's perception that not enough was being 
done to provide a safe environment for children and to respect the 
watershed.

Ofcom's research found that viewers valued news and sport most highly, 
followed by drama, soaps, regional news and serious factual. Least 
valued by viewers were arts, religious programming, and regional 
programmes excluding news and current affairs.

The findings of the research also spelt out some of the issues facing 
PSB output in the future. Between 1998 and 2003 the channelsÕ combined 
share of total viewing fell from 87% to 76%. In multichannel homes the 
terrestrialsÕ share has fallen from 63% to 57%.

Multichannel viewers are turning off shows such as Horizon, Newsnight 
and The South Bank Show, with viewing figures at least 50% down 
compared with terrestrial homes.

Ofcom senior partner Ed Richards said: "Our initial finding on current 
effectiveness is that broadcasting on the main terrestrial channels has 
partially, but not completely, fulfilled the requirements of the 
Communications Act."

However he was not prepared to give more specific information about 
particular channels.



Source: broadcastnow.co.uk