Traditional public service media should be more discoverable on YouTube
The regulator and competition authority has made a number of recommendations in its action plan that is seeking 'urgent clarity from the Government on how TV will be distributed to reach audiences in the future.'
Group director for broadcasting and media at Ofcom, Cristina Nicolotti Squires, told the PA news agency: 'We've called it (the report) Transmission Critical because we think that public service media is under real threat.
'Broadcasters are experiencing quite tough financial challenges. The business model changes with audiences fracturing everywhere.'
According to research from Barb, which is responsible for calculating UK TV official viewing figures, viewing on linear channels has fallen significantly in recent years and this decline is expected to continue.
The report says that public service broadcasters (PSBs) will have to work 'much harder to create content that audiences want to watch' on platforms like YouTube as 'they are competing with every other content creator in the world.'
Ms Nicolotti Squires said: 'We're not saying they have to go on YouTube, but we're just saying that public service broadcasters have got to make great content where audiences are, and audiences are increasingly going onto YouTube.
'They all have different deals with YouTube in terms of commercial returns, and that's down to them. But I just think it's important that the programmes that they're making, public service programmes, are available where people are.
'So just delivering on the linear channels, obviously, we're seeing that viewing has fallen significantly in those areas. So it's a question of, as I said, pretty much putting these great programmes where people are watching them.'
A key objective of the Media Act, passed in 2024, was to make it easier to find content from PSBs like the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 on smart TVs.
Ms Nicolotti Squires said Ofcom is now calling for 'a logical next step on video sharing platforms'.
She added: 'It might require some further legislative changes to regulation. We're starting the conversation rather than finalising it all.'
The report says that stable and adequate funding is needed from the Government and emphasises that discoverability on online platforms is particularly important for news and children's content.
It also recommends that online platforms invest in media literacy skills while forging ambitious strategic partnerships that can compete with global streaming platforms.
On top of this, Ofcom is launching a review of its regulation of broadcast TV and radio that will seek input from stakeholders about the priority areas for reforming regulation.
Sarah Rose, president of Channel 5, said: 'We are pleased that Ofcom's review highlighted the challenges producing specialist children's content and called for commercially viable funding models among its recommendations.
'Channel 5's Milkshake! continues to navigate those challenges to remain the only public service broadcaster offering a daily programming block which targets preschoolers with original content rooted in the UK's Early Years Foundation framework.'
A spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said: 'We welcome Ofcom's Public Service Media Review and we will now consider its recommendations.'
YouTube has been approached for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
13 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Angela Rayner on lessons learned from Labour's first year
Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey speak to Angela Rayner about Labour's first year in government and the challenges ahead. The deputy prime minister reveals the issue that keeps her awake at night, reflects on why voters are frustrated with Labour, what she thinks the party can do about it, and how it's planning to take the fight to Reform
The National
28 minutes ago
- The National
Independence will be won by narratives, not technicalities
I was happy to do this because I am quite sure an online subscription to the paper is a bargain. In summary, I suggested there are three reasons why The National is of value: It seeks to tell the truth in a world where that is rare The paper is clear about what it seeks to achieve, which is Scottish independence, and what it wants from doing so, believing it will benefit everyone in the country. It tries harder than any newspaper I know to explain how the goals that it promotes might be achieved Together, these add up to a narrative, and narrative mattersto me. Simultaneously, I was discussing with a team what makes for a good YouTube video. I am now creating more than 400 of these a year and, on average, they are attracting significantly more views than is typical for that channel, so I hope I have some insight into this. READ MORE: Man arrested for 'carrying a placard calling Donald Trump an offensive word' My summary on this, which I have learned through painful experience, is that there are usually five steps to this process, which are largely consistent with any narrative anyone might ever want to create. These are: You have a situation involving an unresolved stress that needs to be resolved as the story progresses The narrator of the story has a desire to resolve this issue, which they can explain, including by suggesting what outcome they want There is a problem or conflict that must be resolved before change can take place The necessary conditions to remove that obstacle to progress can be described The consequence is that the stress can be removed, and the person engaging with the story can understand how they might be better off as a result I am not claiming any great or novel insight here (pun intended). All I am relating is the foundation of the plot for just about any book, film or even newspaper column that you have ever read or watched. Of course, there are lots of ways in which variations on this theme can be created, but the fact is that, as life has taught me, resolving stress is pretty much what everything in life is about. It was undoubtedly the basis of my professional life during the 40 years I worked as a chartered accountant. Why is it worth relating these two tales? It is because understanding how narratives are created and resolved is crucial to the cause of Scottish independence, as well as to the broader political economy. The reason is quite simple: the hearts, souls and minds of those who will have to vote for independence will not be swayed by technicalities, however important they might be; nor are our relationships of power ever altered using financial or other data. Instead, it is stories that make and change our world. As a result, it is the power of the independence movement to create stories that really matters. Using the plot steps I note above, I suspect that every reader of this newspaper knows what the conflict Scotland faces is. It is being governed by interests that are wholly uninterested in the wellbeing of the people of Scotland, and they are based in another country. I do, again, suspect most readers are very well aware of what they desire. They wish for an independent Scotland. What we do, however, know is that there is a conflict, and that is that the Westminster political parties do not want Scotland – or Wales or Northern Ireland, come to that – to be independent. They wish to hang on to their remaining colonies. They are putting every obstacle they can in the way of independence. I'll jump a stage and suggest most people reading this article would also know the people of Scotland will be better off than they are now if independence is won. The end of this story is known. In that case, using this simple analytical tool, we can see that the problem for the Scottish independence cause is at stage four of the narrative process. What the SNP, in particular, are having difficulty with is explaining how the obstacles to progress can be removed. What John Swinney said recently has done very little to change this. That is, then, what the political economic debate in Scotland must now focus on. I particularly emphasise this because while, as an economist, technicalities matter to me, narratives matter more. The Irish independence movement in the early 20th century never clearly defined what an independent Ireland would look like before achieving its goal. That was unfortunate, because the civil war developed soon after London had agreed to grant Ireland its freedom, and this must be avoided in the case of Scotland. However, my point is that without discussion on a currency, or any other technicality, the case for independence in Ireland was primarily shaped by the narratives that the Irish independence movement created for itself. Through the poetry of Yeats, the plays of Synge, stories from the west of Ireland, and tales of the persecution that had happened, plus the promotion of cultural centres such as the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, a narrative was created that captured the popular imagination not just in Ireland, but also of sympathetic people elsewhere. I think this is essential and I am not sure I am seeing or hearing enough of it in Scotland. Now, I readily admit I live in England and so it would be easy for me to miss this, but there again, people outside Ireland in the early 20th century could not have missed the intellectual and literary momentum that promoted the politics of independence at that time. So, much as I think that technical issues around currency, taxation, and other such matters will have to be resolved before independence can happen, I am also of the opinion that the popular resolve to create an independent Scotland cannot be achieved without more storytelling. That storytelling has to build on genuine, and not fabricated, Scottish tradition. It has to emphasise that the reality of Scottish life can be improved. And what it needs to do is be clear that there is sufficient cohesion within Scotland for a strong and proud nation that does more than support its rugby, football and curling teams, but which wants to be independent as well. Emphasising Scottish modern culture will also be key. In that regard, I was heartened to see Scottish performers proudly displaying the Saltire at Glastonbury. That makes a difference, as does the championing of the cause by people such as actor David Tennant. All that being said, though, there is still a story to tell, and when it is, I think that the critical breakthrough will happen. I also happen to think The National will be part of that story, which is why an annual subscription for £20 will definitely be worth the money.
The National
28 minutes ago
- The National
How pension savings could be an indy Scotland's ‘wealth fund'
A national pension fund (NPF) would be a large mutual fund owned by Scottish citizens as distinct from a state-owned sovereign wealth fund. It could be established in law based on mandatory 'auto-enrolment' of all new employees starting work for the first time, with all employers and employees paying contributions into the fund. These contributions would provide entitlement to an earnings-related pension but would also build up a large fund that could be invested to support the Scottish economy and the execution of Scottish Government industrial strategy. READ MORE: Man arrested for 'carrying a placard calling Donald Trump an offensive word' We need to be clear that pension savings give rise to future financial claims upon the resources and productive capacity of the economy. Unless the economy is capable of meeting the needs of everyone in the future, we are storing up a crisis and conflict over access to goods and services. Pension savings need to be used primarily to support the productive capacity of the economy instead of being allocated for speculation in financial markets. The NPF would quickly build into a substantial fund. The contributions made by new employees would not be drawn down to pay pensions for 40 years or more. Once established, existing workers could be offered the option of transferring in their second pensions. For those with defined contribution pensions, there would be a strong incentive as transferring into the NPF would give them rights to an earnings-related pension. Transfers in would increase the size of the NPF even further. The fund would need to be structured so that there was a 'buffer fund' of cash available to meet operating costs and pay out pension benefits. Workers who had transferred in would reach retirement age earlier than the founding auto-enrolled membership, so after a few years the NPF would need a certain amount of available cash to pay pension benefits. Funds in excess of that required to maintain a buffer fund (Fund A) could be allocated for productive investment. Fund B could be designated for investment in government and corporate bonds, a liquid form of financial asset that can be quickly redeemed for cash if necessary to supplement the buffer fund. Fund C could be allocated for direct investment in infrastructure and in the form of partnerships with businesses, giving the NPF direct equity stakes in individual companies. This fund would play a central role in giving the general public a direct stake in business and infrastructure and form the basis of what could be described as 'mutual capitalism'. Fund D would allocate any remaining funds in tradeable shares with an emphasis on the holding of shares in Scottish companies and taking stakes in foreign companies operating in Scotland. Funds C and D would contribute to the process of taking back control and ownership of our national assets and resources. Funds B and D would rely on there being a Scottish Stock Exchange to facilitate their activities. The funds of the NPF could be enhanced further by allocating revenues derived from the management of Scotland's resources. Initially this might be limited to tax revenues, for example from foreign companies operating in the energy sector. However, over time, as Scotland regains ownership and control over our own resources, the higher revenues could also be used to supplement the funds of the NPF in addition to the share of profits the NPF derives from direct investments in infrastructure and equity partnerships. A NPF would constitute a strategically important part of Scotland's future financial architecture and its evolution would have a significant impact on the Scottish asset management industry. A substantial shrinkage of that industry would be likely, but that would be compensated for with the creation of highly skilled, well-paid jobs needed to drive the successful business partnerships which are central to the NPF's purpose as an investor. The administration of an earnings-related pension system, of which the NPF would be a critical part, would also create well-paid jobs in activities such as financial advice, IT systems development and co-ordination with the tax and welfare systems and related government departments. In out next column I will outline how the NPF could be designed as a provider of earnings-related pensions for all Scottish citizens, integrated with a new state earnings-related pension.
