PSB Review — Interactive Executive Summary

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1.5

Nevertheless, audiences attach high value to content that reflects the UK in all its facets, which they see as essential to maintaining our cultural identity and social cohesion. While international content has a role to play, UK origination is essential to delivering the four purposes of public service broadcasting – increasing our understanding of the world through news and analysis, stimulating knowledge and learning, reflecting UK cultural identity and making us aware of different cultures and alternative viewpoints. None of these purposes can be achieved without significant amounts of new UK content, reflecting the values, perspectives and lives of UK consumers and citizens.

Comments

Liam H on 13 April 2008 at 4:49pm

This strikes me as Quango speak: 'cultural identity and social cohesion', yet more buzzwords that are the flavour of the moment. If audiences desire UK content then it is natural that commercial broadcasters will provide it. There is no reason that only publicly funded broadcasters can guarantee this.

LorraineP on 23 April 2008 at 1:24pm

It is 'natural' for commercial broadcasters to acquire programming at the lowest cost and therefore unlikely that they will invest heavily in UK production if they can import more cheaply. 'Cultural Identity' is not just a buzz word, and programming has to be expressive of a given country as well as serving its consumer needs. The contention that US dramas are of 'high quality' is a matter of taste, and they are not to mine.

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About this trial

On this experimental site we encourage you to leave informal comments alongside the Executive Summary of Ofcom's Second Public Service Broadcasting Review - Phase One: The Digital Opportunity, published on April 10th 2008.

Alternatively, you can download the full consultation document, and/or respond formally to the consultation (closing date 19th June 2008). You can also follow the debate over the next few months on the PSB Review blog.