Government plots £60m programming boost to combat the BBC’s ‘dominance’
The UK Government is seeking views on a new pilot fund of up to £60m aimed at boosting under-represented genres in TV, radio and online, amid concerns of the BBC’s “dominance” of certain genres.
Government plots £60m programming boost to combat the BBC’s ‘dominance’
The thoughts of broadcasters, producers, viewers and others are being sought on how the fund can be created and distributed to strengthen value for money provision of under-provided Public Service Broadcasting content.
In a statement published today, the Department for Culture, Media & Sport said that whilst the UK is home to a “thriving broadcasting industry, there has been a decline in provision of certain key public service genres like children’s TV, arts and religious programming. Beyond television, concerns have also been raised about the BBC’s dominance of certain radio genres, such as comedy, documentaries, drama and religious programmes”.
To address such concerns, the fund will help to stimulate the “provision and plurality” of public service content in targeted areas. Bids for the fund will be assessed against a strict value for money criteria.
Culture Secretary Karen Bradley said: “The government is open to the broadest range of ideas, views and evidence to inform the design of this pilot. We want to take this opportunity to consider fully how a fund should be targeted, how it should operate and be administered, with a view to delivering the best outcomes for viewers and the system as a whole”.
The Government will be piloting the scheme, which will receive up to £60m of funding over two to three years, after which the impact of the scheme will be assessed and a decision taken about whether to close, maintain or expand the scheme.
The consultation launch comes days after the Government published the new BBC Charter and framework agreement, which comes in to effect on 1 January.