Kiaron Finnegan’s Post

The Media Bill reached the UK House of Lords and I took part in the debate. The consumer is changing media, by watching content on-line and subscribing to streaming services. It is difficult for our Public Service Broadcasters to compete, and we have to debate the existential question of how to preserve “British” content when so many platforms are owned by US companies. Those companies invest here and create jobs and local content, but we still in my view need to defend our own broadcasting landscape as well. Impartiality needs to be debated. It is being challenged by GB News, but understandably there is an argument that we need to update our views on impartiality when there is so much content available on different platforms. I hugely support radio and I am pleased to see further deregulation in this sector to help companies compete. The BBC has a unique role here in supporting local content. There are many other issues - ratings, regulation of Video On Demand, DTT switch off, AI, the ownership of newspapers, all of which we will no doubt get into over the coming weeks. #mediabill #publicservicebroadcasting #radio #digitalradio Global Times Radio News UK BBC Channel 4 ITV Jane Luca Alex Mahon Ashley Tabor-King CBE Stephen Miron David Dinsmore Radiocentre

The biggest media bill for 20 years… well worth 7 minutes of your day to watch this debate with Lord Ed Vaizey on the futures of radio and television in the UK. The consumer is changing media, by watching content on-line and subscribing to streaming services. It is difficult for our Public Service Broadcasters to compete, and we have to debate the existential question of how to preserve “British” content when so many platforms are owned by US companies. Those companies invest here and create jobs and local content, but we still in my view need to defend our own broadcasting landscape as well.

Brilliant post about what could’ve should’ve been, how regulatory bodies can get it profoundly wrong when they listen to the wrong voices and how we’ve finally made it after many many years of trying!

Broadband drives on demand adoption, but cost is a factor as well. Slowing down the transition is expected in the face of cost increases, particularly where broadband adoption is also under challenge...

FREELY, MADLY, DEEPLY: BRITISH BROADCASTERS COLLABORATING (AT LONG LAST) It's interesting and resonant to see the launch of Freely today, the new #streaming service from Everyone TV backed by BBC, ITV, Channel 4 & Channel 5. It involves various of my former C4 colleagues including CEO Jonathan Thompson, Sarah Milton and James Tatam. For the first time viewers can switch between live and on-demand #TV from all the main UK #broadcasters simply and gratis. It offers features like pause and restart, and gives access to additional episodes for free (the clue's in the name). All that's required is a WiFi connection, no dish or aerial. The idea is to offer "a single, unified platform" centred on British TV. It has been billed as "the first time all four of Britain’s public service broadcasters have come together to launch a streaming proposition" - but that's not strictly true. 16 years ago 'Project Kangaroo' bounced onto the scene. It was the secret working title for a #VOD platform combining content from BBC Worldwide, ITV and C4. However Kangaroo fell at the fence of the UK Competition Commission (now Competition & Markets Authority) in 2009. That was arguably the nail in the coffin of UK TV. It was the moment we could have competed against Netflix (just a year old at the time) and the emerging international #streamers. It was perhaps the one time we coulda been contenders. “You don’t understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender, I could’ve been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am.” (Elia Kazan’s classic 'On the Waterfront' has just been re-released in UK cinemas to mark its 70th anniversary.) The Competition Competition looked at the parochial UK situation instead of the Big Picture and in their folly probably killed (certainly severely wounded) the Little Screen in this country. It's still playing out now all these years later. BritBox was a pretty lame attempt to fill the Kangaroo void. ITV and BBC Studios founded this would-be global streaming service in 2017 as a joint venture to showcase British entertainment (original scripted and factual shows, co-pros, etc.) to international audiences. Last month we heard that ITV has sold its 50% stake in BritBox International to partner BBC Studios for £255M, probably a sign that the partners' imperatives had evolved in somewhat different directions. So it's arguable that Freely is 16 years too late. But I hope otherwise and wish them the best of British... #television #globalTV

"Why did public service broadcasting (PSBs) fail?" Tom Davi, head of the BBC, the world's number one public service broadcaster, said at an event in the UK that "global public broadcasting is in crisis, it's on red alert." And he's right: global public service broadcasting in the age of streaming is in crisis. Viewers are leaving, big tech is taking over, and there's not much money left to produce. So is public service broadcasting doomed? No, it isn't. Rather, a society fragmented by YouTube and social media consumption demands a greater role for them. But it's a daunting task. Even in an era of 500 million global streaming viewers, the reason for the existence of Public Service Broadcasters is clear. we need media that gives us 'truth and trust', not 'algorithms'. South Korea's PSBs will do the same. #pbs #streaming #directmedialab, #netflix https://lnkd.in/diSfRvWG

PUBLIC SERVICE #BROADCASTING IN #WALES It's good to see that the Welsh Assembly / Senedd has done another investigation of this matter. The Committee Report, just published, makes assorted worthy recommendations. But I was staggered to see that the Report contains virtually nothing about the in-depth representation of Wales (and the "selling of Wales") in public service broadcasting output: Quote: "70. The BBC also has work to do on ensuring that people across Wales feel represented by the services they receive. The scale of this challenge is clear as only half the Welsh population think the BBC reflects “people like them”. We are optimistic that improved representation will be one of the consequences of the BBC’s Across the UK plans. The BBC must be ambitious in these plans, and Ofcom need to be similarly ambitious in what it asks for from the broadcaster. Recommendation 8. Ofcom should be ambitious in using its regulation of the BBC to drive improvements to the BBC’s representation and portrayal of people in Wales. The BBC and Ofcom should report back to this Committee before the end of the Sixth Senedd to report on its progress." So there is no insistence that the BBC and the other broadcasters should devote serious resources to the telling of the Welsh story-- and play a role in developing Welsh national self-awareness and pride in its heritage. The "portrayal of people" in Wales is a different matter entirely. All very timid and unimaginative. A missed opportunity, since Welsh production companies currently spend much more of their time, and devote more of their expertise, to the telling of other peoples' stories rather than their own. That was a point made strongly round about the time of the last Committee review, a few years ago. So are we nowadays a proud and confident nation with our own unique narrative? Not on this evidence. Scotland knows how to do it, with Wales lagging far behind.

BBC Archives has one of the largest broadcast collections in the world, but we don’t have every programme we have broadcast since 1922. The programmes we don’t have are often the focus of comment and scrutiny. The BBC can be in the spotlight on this subject - understandably as a publicly funded broadcaster - but all long established broadcast archives have a similar story.There are many reasons why a broadcast radio or television programme or other BBC content may not have been permanently retained in the archives, and any number of these reasons may have applied simultaneously.https://https://lnkd.in/dwY3djfU

The End of an Era: RDF Television Closes, Signaling a Transformative Shift in British Broadcasting In what marks a seminal moment for British broadcasting, RDF Television, the acclaimed independent production company behind iconic UK formats such as "Wife Swap," "Tipping Point," "Faking It," and "Only Connect," will cease operations. This decision by parent company Banijay UK to close RDF after 30 years of pioneering contributions is not just the end of a chapter but a reflective mirror on the evolving landscape of British television. Under the leadership of Stephen Lambert as director of programmes, RDF has been instrumental in crafting the genre of factual entertainment, affectionately known as "factent." This genre has been a cornerstone of British TV, showcasing RDF's gold standard in creating content that is both engaging and innovative. The closure represents a poignant moment, indicative of a broader shift in broadcaster strategies, moving away from the traditional domains of general factual and lifestyle programming towards a digital-first approach. The decision, as outlined by UK chief Patrick Holland, stems from a strategic necessity to adapt to a "radical shift in demand for content" and to streamline operations amid the digital transformation and economic pressures facing the global industry. This shift signifies a pivot from the established 8/9 pm linear schedules to prioritize content genres predicted to see significant growth, such as scripted, reality, and entertainment. As Channel 4, one of the traditional homes of factual entertainment, undergoes a major restructure, and with RDF's curtain call, the question looms: how long will BBC2, another bastion of this genre, continue in its current form? This development is not merely a closure of a company but a reflection of the changing tides in content consumption and production strategies. RDF's legacy, however, will endure through its existing programming and as a brand for its seminal contributions to the TV landscape. The company's history of innovation, talent development, and iconic shows has left an indelible mark on the industry. As we bid farewell to RDF, we must also brace for the further evolution of British TV, understanding that change, while challenging, is also the bedrock of creativity and innovation. #BritishTV #BroadcastingEvolution #RDFClosure #MediaIndustryShift #DigitalFirstStrategy #FactEnt #InnovationInMedia Jonathan Glazier's reflection on RDF's closure underscores the broader implications for British broadcasting, heralding a pivotal shift towards a future where digital content and innovative formats will lead the way. This is indeed a transformative period, marking both an end and a new beginning for the industry.

📈 The rise of video on-demand and streaming services has transformed how we watch and listen to content. 📺 People in the UK watched on average 30% less broadcast TV in 2022 compared to 2014 📉 while two-thirds of households now subscribe to at least one video on-demand service. 📜 The UK Government has introduced a new piece of legislation to make sure there’s an up-to-date framework in place to protect public service broadcasters while fostering innovation - and this makes some changes to our role as a regulator. We’ve set out our roadmap which details how we will approach implementing these changes in a way that’s fair, proportionate and effective. Find out more 👇 #Media #Broadcast #MediaBill