[Community Television] Ofcom set to relax PSB requirements

[Michelle McGuire]

Ofcom set to relax PSB requirements
Glen Mutel
22 April 2004 08:30

Ofcom is set to scrap the "box ticking" rules that force public service 
broadcasters to show specific amounts of religious or arts programming.

The changes to PSB definitions were outlined this week when Ofcom 
published the first phase of its review of public service broadcasting.

The move will mean channels such as ITV, Channel 4 and Five would be 
given broader and more general remits, potentially allowing shows such 
as C4's Jamie's Kitchen to be classed as PSB.

The changes are likely to mean ITV being freed from some of the PSB 
requirements which Charles Allen has claimed cost the broadcaster 
around £400m a year. Ofcom is due to discuss ITV's licences next 
year, using a new framework for defining PSB that will stress quality, 
innovation and originality over specific genre obligations.

Ed Richards, who is leading Ofcom's review of PSB, this week said the 
changes would be part of a wider reframing of what constitutes PSB. ITV 
and Five's core PSB requirements will now be news, regional news and 
original programming. Channel 4 will continue to have a key role in 
developing innovative, original PSB output, but again will be able to 
claim much more of its output as PSB.

The Ofcom report also contained a thinly veiled warning to the BBC to 
ensure its output fulfilled a PSB remit. "The BBC governors should take 
the lead in ensuring the BBC addresses concerns about derivative 
formats, aggressive scheduling, competition for acquired programming 
and a balanced schedule in peak-time," its report said.

Ofcom's report this week also included the results of a survey of 6,000 
homes. The survey found that viewers placed greatest value on news, 
sport, drama and soaps.

But viewers also voiced concern over a lack of innovation on British TV 
and too many copycat programmes.

Mick Desmond, chief executive of ITV Broadcasting, said: "The report 
highlights that viewers take a broad view of what public service 
broadcasting is. For viewers, soaps and sport have as much of a role to 
play as the more traditional PSB genres like arts and religion. Ofcom 
has rightly identified the massive economic changes taking place in the 
broadcasting industry."

Broadcasters have long argued for regulators to take a less 
prescriptive approach to PSB, arguing that box ticking ignores the fact 
that many modern programmes elude categorisation.

Under the current system, ITV, C4 and Five have to hit a number of 
genre targets. ITV has to air 365 hours of news and current affairs, 
104 hours of religion and 39 hours of arts. C4 is required to air at 
least three hours of multicultural programmes each week.

Source: broadcastnow.co.uk