1.24

The range of needs that public service broadcasting seeks to address is therefore expanding. But the resources available to public service institutions beyond the BBC to meet these needs are declining. Our analysis shows that total implicit funding for commercial public service broadcasting has declined by a quarter – around £130 million in real terms – since the Communications Act was passed in 2003. By 2012 it is projected to decline by nearly two thirds since 2003 – a total of over £300 million flowing out of commercial public service broadcasting. By this time, if nothing changes, the BBC will receive over 90% of all funding for public service broadcasting, up from a little over 80% in 2003.