The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

BBC Starcom Mediavest

Media owners concerned by talks of a commercial BBC

Author

By Jennifer Faull, Deputy Editor

July 17, 2015 | 3 min read

Media owners would not welcome an ad-supported BBC, with eight in 10 concerned that it would place a significant threat on the media sector.

The findings of the Starcom MediaVest survey (which involved 150 senior level executives) comes as the government unveiled the key areas to be reviewed as part of an overhaul of the Royal Charter. How the corporation is funded topped the list as the BBC struggled to cope with the wave of people opting out of a TV licence – its main source of income – to watch via the online iPlayer service.

The government will be looking to “modernise” how it is funded, but it is not known if options will include opening it up to advertising.

A similar study into viewer attitudes towards advertising on the BBC suggested the general public is open to it. Almost two thirds (60 per cent) of Brits said they would be happy for the licence fee to be scrapped in favour of ad-supported model.

However, 85 per cent of media owners felt the BBC should remain as it is, publically funded – with 75 per cent citing they would feel more confident about their business if it was.

When asked, if they were given the option, how they would fund the BBC one respondent said “publically funded but streamlined with a supplementary commercial arm”. Similarly, another respondent thought that “whilst the BBC should remain publically funded they should also sell partnerships”.

A model for a commercial BBC already exists. BBC Worldwide – the international business – is commercially funded, although operates completely separately from the publically funded arm.

Another responded suggested that the BBC should continue as it is now with increased options for the BBC to licence content internationally as an additional revenue stream.

Steve Parker, co-chief executive of Starcom MediaVest Group, said: “The results are incredibly thought-provoking and perhaps quite surprising to some. What’s particularly interesting is that whilst it has been reported that many see the BBC license fee as out-dated, our survey revealed that most actually want the fee to remain as it is. Ultimately, the results suggest that for our industry to continue to flourish, the BBC needs to stay publically funded.”

However, the strong legacy of the BBC does seem to be under threat with the study revealing that a quarter of media owners surveyed believe that the public lacks trust in the broadcaster. In addition, only 38 per cent believe that the BBC can regain the trust of the public. When asked whether they trusted the BBC as a media professional, over a third (38 per cent) disagreed.

BBC Starcom Mediavest

More from BBC

View all

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +