Public service broadcasting in the UK was established under economic and cultural conditions very different from 21st century market de-regulation and multiculturalism. It remains a good and worthy idea.
But today, the BBC seems to be confused as to what its role should be: should it ape ITV programming (The Weakest Link) and attempt to secure high ratings in order to show popularity and justify the licence fee? Or should it perhaps pay more attention to supplying programming for a society increasingly made up of regions and niche consumers?
Despite public service successes like History of Britain, the failure to address audiences outside the core of middle England does not help the BBC with its arguments for expansion into digital channels and the internet. Surely it must show that it is effective at talking to the diversity of national audiences before it can be allowed to expand, stifling competition and spending more taxpayers' money? Recent reports show that young and urban audiences do not watch the BBC.
Meanwhile Channel 4 rushes ahead with a populist agenda and prepares itself for privatisation with the help of taxpayers' money. Reacting to the market and employing staff who have outgrown the BBC, it is re-working the idea of public service. Editorially argumentative, it is innovative enough to offend many of the communities is it supposed to patronise, yet its mixed bag of highbrow and tabloid offers some diversity.
If the BBC and public service is to be preserved and improved, dynamic and effective regulation is vital. The BBC needs to employ some radical thinking or it faces becoming an anachronism. Why should we suffer a universal tax if it is not supplying citizens with programming relevant to their lives? If poor old Auntie doesn't sort itself out, we face the prospect of having no viable and trustworthy public service broadcaster. The other channels will continue to play to the market which is not wise and trustworthy, even though it can be clever.
If the BBC cannot innovate then it faces redundancy. Maybe then fans of a public service media ethos will question the whole validity of TV, become less passive, read more books, surf the net or indulge in conversation .............
