This white paper sets out the government’s vision for the
broadcasting sector, and the steps we are taking to support our
system of public service broadcasting.
Up next - the government’s
vision for the broadcasting sector
Details
The UK’s creative economy is a global success story, and our
public service broadcasters are the beating heart of that
success. They produce great British content loved across the UK
and the world over. The government wants it to stay that way.
Radio and TV remain strong, valued media in the UK delivering
significant public value. 89% of the population listens to radio
every week, a figure which has remained remarkably consistent in
the last decade. Total linear TV set viewing was 2 hours, 33
minutes a day in March 2022, with viewers continuing to turn to
our public service broadcasters for trusted news and high
quality, original programming.
The government believes this will remain the case long into the
next decade. Future listening projections prepared for the recent
Digital Radio and Audio Review show that radio will retain a
central role in UK media for at least the next 10-15 years. And
while nearly half of UK adults now consider online video services
to be their main way of watching TV and film, 17.3 million homes
still access digital terrestrial TV via an aerial, 8.4 million
households subscribe to satellite television and 3.9 million have
a cable TV subscription.
But the headwinds facing our radio and television broadcasters
are intensifying. Competition is increasing, audience habits and
technology are changing constantly, and global giants are making
their presence felt.
The government therefore intends to act to support our system of
public service broadcasting, using our new legislative freedoms
to deliver a regulatory framework in the best interests of the
UK. We must now deliver much needed reform to the ‘compact’, the
balance of benefits and obligations conferred on our public
service broadcasters, to ensure they can continue to deliver for
audiences across the United Kingdom.
Government response to the
consultation on a potential change of ownership of Channel 4
Television Corporation
