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Technological change and digital uptake have brought a large amount of audiovisual content to people, including content which exhibits public service purposes and characteristics. There is continued demand for Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) across Europe, although the ways in which people access and consume PSB content may change as existing broadcasting institutions compete with new players in the delivery of PS programming.
Is institutional competition the answer? Two things are certain in a British context: firstly, the market alone is unlikely to provide plurality in the ownership, commissioning, editorial and production of public service content. Secondly, institutional competition for Public Service (PS) provision risks becoming implausible if this implies a weaker BBC, which remains Britain’s most powerful global brand and the most trusted source globally.
