« Paragraph 1.5 | Read the full summary | Paragraph 1.7 »
In this respect, the public service television channels – the BBC’s channels, Channel 3/ITV1, Channel 4, S4C and Five – continue to play the dominant role in delivering public service purposes. These channels account for over 90% of investment in new networked UK-originated television content, despite increases in some digital channels’ investment in UK programming in recent years.
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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.
Martin Curry on 10 April 2008 at 1:55pm
PSB status should be offered to channels besides the existing PSB channels.
Sky News in particular, currently offers an excellent 24 hour rolling news channel,(and is once again RTS News channel of the year) that is complimentary to BBC News 24.
At present, Freeview viewers are in danger of loosing access to this channel and cable viewers have lost access, as a result of a contractural disagreement between Virgin and Sky.
Granting PSB status to Sky News would make the channel a must carry channel on cable, and offer continued access to carriage on a PSB Mux on Freeview on favourable terms.
Other channels that should also obe offered PSB status are the publically owned channels from Channel 4; Film 4, More 4 and E4, and the publically funded/or supported channels, Teachers TV and the Community Channel.
Following my suggestion (to the consultation into the removal of Sky News from Freeview), that Euronews be offered space on Freeview if Sky News is withdrawn, I have been pleased to see that Euronews is seeking PSB status in the UK in order to broadcast as a FTA Freeview channel.
I support their application and hope that if NGW and Sky remove Sky News from Freeview, that NGW are directed to replace Sky News with Euronews.
If, as I hope, Ofcom insist on the retention of Sky News on Freeview, I would still support the addition of Euronews to the FTA Freeview channels.
Finally, I ask that the putative FTA channel from the Irish Republic, Dispora TV, is also allowed to apply for PSB status and granted space on a PSB Mux.
Paul Evans on 10 June 2008 at 9:02pm
Why is Sky - one of the most successful broadcasters in the UK - exempted from the obligations to invest in, and locally produce original content?
These obligations - found in the TV Without Frontiers Directive - have been waived by OFCOM (stretching the intentions of a get-out in the treaty) on the grounds that they would create a barrier to entry.
Sky could easily produce local content. It doesn't because British regulators wouldn't be prepared to take the heat from commercial lobbyists.