Scots indy TV sector set to boom under new broadcast plans

0 Comments | Sunday Herald, The, Apr 25, 2004 | by Arthur MacMillan

SCOTTISH broadcasters have welcomed preliminary findings from Ofcom's review into public service broadcasting (PSB), but academics have warned that programming decisions should not be determined by market research.

The media regulator signalled a big shake-up in programming last week by claiming the current system, where ITV and Five have to meet quotas on the amount of arts or religious programmes they show, was unsustainable in the world of multi-channel television. Instead Ofcom has proposed that broadcasters' output should be assessed by questioning whether it is high quality, innovative, challenging and widely available.

"We are encouraged by the review's findings," said Donald Emslie, CEO of SMG Television, "because it backs up what we said recently about the BBC's aggressive scheduling and movement into the territory of commercial broadcasters. In the era of digital TV, it is no longer tenable for two or three broadcasters to supply public sector broadcasting."

Stuart Cosgrove, head of nations and regions at Channel 4, said the report indicated the "winds of change were blowing in the direction of independent producers", given that Ofcom said the station should be seen as a template for programme-making at the BBC and ITV.

He said: "[Ofcom] has given us a very strong start in the PSB review by signalling that Channel 4 has a critical role to play in driving originality and innovation in programming. Shameless, which we made in Manchester, and Meet The Magoons, which we are making in Glasgow, show that top-quality programmes, can be made outside the M25. In terms of regional programming there is a huge difference between what we are doing and the low-budget regional programmes that are run late by ITV companies to fulfil their licencing requirements."

Speaking at the Creative Industries conference in Glasgow on Friday, John McVay, chief executive of Pact, the independent production trade body, echoed Cosgrove's sentiments. "I have never seen the tone of a regulatory document be so positive towards the independent sector," he said.

A senior executive at BBC Scotland said: "There is no doubt Ofcom recognises the increasing role of independents and the impact they will have on the BBC's charter review. But that will not mean an end to in-house production, which is a large part of the BBC's ethos."

Phase one of the PSB review said the BBC's board of governors must ensure it does not stray from its public service remit with copycat programming (such as Fame Academy, accused of imitating Pop Idol) aggressive scheduling, or by paying too much for American films or TV programmes.

"[Ofcom] are reducing, significantly, the PSB expectations placed on ITV and increasing these for the BBC," the executive added. "I detect a good old-fashioned British compromise shaping up, with Ofcom deciding how to handle the BBC while down-weighing the requirements on ITV."

Ofcom interviewed more than 6000 households in phase one of its PSB study. The report noted that although high quality news coverage was important to the public, audiences for current affairs programmes such as Newsnight, The South Bank Show and Horizon, had fallen by half in homes equipped with digital television.

However David Hutchison, a lecturer in journalism at Glasgow Caledonian University, said that although Ofcom's research was extensive it, alone, should not dictate what the public considers to be PSB.

He said: "It is not for policymakers to decide what they think the public wants to watch - it is up to them to ensure that broadcasters fulfil their obligations. Public sector broadcasting does not need to be apologised for and just because some people don't want to watch Newsnight, that is no argument for abandoning it. There are responsibilities to the greater public good in producing programmes that inform, educate and entertain. This is what gave the BBC a reputation for producing the finest broadcasting in the World."

Greg Philo, a professor of sociology at Glasgow University and research director of the department's media unit, also said Ofcom's findings should not form the basis of policy.

He said: "It all depends on how the questions are asked: if people are asked 'would you rather watch Pop Idol than Newsnight?' then most people will say Pop Idol. But the research we are conducting indicates people do want more intelligent programmes.

"With more than half of people going to university in Scotland the population is becoming more educated and the demand for more sophisticated and culturally aware programmes is likely to increase."